DirkJake 30 Day OTP Challenge
by EnsorcelledReader
Summary: I've decided to throw my hat in the ring of the ubiquitous 30 OTP challenge. My first fanfic, any constructive criticism is welcome. Cover image by Ikimaru.
1. Chapter 1

Notes:

I want to become a better fiction writer. I figured that this is a good place to start. I don't really have much experience writing (other than English papers in college, but that's different). Critiques are welcome, however please be civil in your communication. This first chapter is just a list so that way I will force myself to come back tomorrow (I have a hard time starting things that require me to put creative work out on display) and have an easy reference when writing chapters. The first couple of chapters will probably be pretty short, but I hope to make longer, more detailed chapters as I go. Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this. You have my gratitude.

OTP Challenge:

01 - Holding hands  
02 - Cuddling somewhere  
03 - Gaming/watching a movie  
04 - On a date  
05 - Kissing  
06 - Wearing eachothers' clothes  
07 - Cosplaying  
08 - Shopping  
09 - Hanging out with friends  
10 - With animal ears  
11 - Wearing kigurumis  
12 - Making out  
13 - Eating icecream  
14 - Genderswapped  
15 - In a different clothing style  
16 - During their morning ritual(s)  
17 - Spooning  
18 - Doing something together  
19 - In formal wear  
20 - Dancing  
21 - Cooking/baking  
22 - In battle, side-by-side  
23 - Arguing  
24 - Making up afterwards  
25 - Gazing into eachothers' eyes  
26 - Getting married  
27 - On one of their birthdays  
28 - Doing something ridiculous  
29 - Doing something sweet  
30 - Doing something hot


	2. Chapter 2 Holding Hands

It had only been a week since you and your three friends entered the medium. Jake has been a bit standoffish since the whole incident. He hadn't been rude, but he was certainly distant. This was most likely due to the whole kissing your decapitated head thing. You hadn't had a chance to explain yourself and...to be honest you were kind of afraid to. Yes, it was necessary to save the group, but part of you felt like you had manipulated the situation for your own personal benefit, more so than the benefit of the group...and that didn't sit right with you. You are in love with Jake English, but now you kind of feel like you don't deserve him, okay you've never felt like you deserved him. Even if you did, you are pretty sure you burnt that bridge when you sent him your disembodied head.

Trying to mend at least SOME of the damage that may have been caused by the incident, you invited Jake to explore LOTAK with you. With his love of adventure you knew he wouldn't say no. You did everything needed to prepare for your adventure together. Maybe along the way you can apologize and properly confess your feelings to him.

You had been working with the alchemiter for the past few days making sure to cover all your bases for the trip. Gas masks? Check. First-aid kit? Check. Change of clothes for both of you (in case you guys fall into some serious disgusting stuff, I mean what's going to be in those tombs?), water, food, backpack to carry everything? Checks across the board. Maybe you should pack backup masks as well, in case one breaks. As you are pondering this AR has decided to voice his opinion about the event, you knew it was only a matter of time.

TT: Okay, I really trying to stay out of you business, but this is just sad. You can't possibly get everything for every convoluted scenario in our head to take with you. It's impossible. I understand you're nervous I would be too in your situation, but seriously you are going to be late meeting Jake. And not ironically late either. You will be asshole late if you don't leave now.

At this you look at the clock and realize that AR is right. You grab the backpack, now packed with everything (and now realizing that captchalogging everything would have been more efficient so you captchalog the backpack at least) and run out the door.

You meet Jake at that read brick like rock on LOMAX. You doesn't seem upset that you are late. "Sorry" you mutter, embarrassed that the you're late for the trip that is supposed to make up for the messed up shit you've already put him through. God, you always find a way to screw it up.

Jake in reply, just beams at you with that perfect smile "Don't worry old sport, no harm done." He is practically bouncing with excitement. "Come on" you say. Jake follows with so much enthusiasm you think he might combust.

Things go well. After you two prepped with the gas masks and arrived, you let Jake take the lead. He was like a kid in a candy store, running to and fro, unable to contain his energy...it was adorable. After a few hours he seemed come down a bit and you finally got the courage to tell him. "Jake" you call. He had been walking just ahead of you, but at the sound of your voice he turns around, still beaming the exact same way as when you started the outing; okay, it was kind of hard to tell through the mask, but his voice just seemed to replicate in sound what that smile did in sight. "Yes Dirk? Egad, are you tired? We've been walking a while and I'm used to it, but I didn't think about how you might be fairing." You quickly assuage his fears, although now that you think about it you are a bit tired. "No, no, I'm fine. I just wanted to talk to you about something"

Jake still seemed like he had the wind taken out of his sails a bit. "Okay, let's sit over here, I'm all ears." You both sit on a nearby rock and you spill you guts.

"Jake, I know the way we entered the medium wasn't ideal. I'm sure you probably still at least a little angry with me, maybe even hate me a little. And I know that having to kiss my decapitated head wasn't a great moment between us, but I..." God this was hard.

Jake saved you from having to finish your thought though. "Well, shucks buster. I mean, it sure wasn't how I pictured my first kiss going and all...and you know...everyone..was..watching which was weird. However.." Jake grabs you hand. "I must say, seeing you there, alive...knowing that the kiss worked and you were okay. Made me really happy. I didn't really know what to do after that though. It's kind of a hard and embarrassing thing to just ignore. I don't think I could ever hate you though Dirk."

You just sit there, unsure of what to say. Emotions never were really your thing. You have them, absolutely...but expressing them is kind of hard. You remember that his hand is still in yours and you give it a squeeze. This seems to get the message across, as at this close proximity you can see his smile underneath the mask. He also seems to understand that you don't know where to go from here.

"I've rested enough how about you, chap?" Asks Jake. You nod. "Let's get a move on then!" he cheerfully declares.

You guys continue to explore the land for a few more hours. No incidents, but Jake never let go of your hand.


	3. Cuddling

After several hours of exploring you and Jake are completely exhausted. You are out of water and more than anything want to get back to the creature comforts of your room. Since it's much closer than Jake's place he tags along.

"You sure you don't mind me resting at you place old sport?" Asks Jake.

"Not at all, although I only have one bed. You sure you don't mind sharing?" You reply in your usual monotone voice; however your heart is beating way too fast, you feel like you might have a heart attack. You two may just be sleeping, but you are going to share a bed with Jake fucking English! How can you not be over the moon happy?

Jake just smiles at your question. "Not at all, however I think we both could use a little freshening up. Would it be too forward of me to ask if I could use your shower?"

This made logical sense. Both of you sweaty and dirty from exploring LOTAK, but your mind immediately went to Jake's naked body in YOUR shower. Keeping the most impassive expression you could muster you respond "Yeah, sure. Let me show you where it is."

After showing Jake to the bathroom you rush to your room. You haven't cleaned your sheets or bedding in you don't know how long. Last thing you want is for Jake to think you are a slob. Thankfully, the planner that you are, you had clean sheets and blankets in your closet. You changed the bedding and made it look tidy. Next, you moved the robot parts strewn about your room into the corner. It may not be perfect, but at least Jake shouldn't be grossed out or possibly injure himself. At this point Jake comes into the room.

"Thanks for letting me go first, chap" you hear, although you can't see his face as Jake is currently drying his hair with a towel.

He pulls the towel away and - oh god, his mussed, wet hair and goofy, yet enchanting smile is almost too much. "Your welcome. Make yourself at home, I'm going to go shower." You definitely need to get a hold of yourself. You grab your pajamas and head for the bathroom.

After the shower you quickly change into you favorite orange pajama pants and Rainbow Dash sleep shirt. When you enter your room you find Jake passed out under the covers. He looks so god damn precious too. You carefully slide into bed next to him, taking great care not to wake him. You lay on your back and start to reflect on how amazingly well this day has gone. It surpassed even your best expectations. Jake seems to be reciprocating your feelings, but it's still not clear enough for you. Yeah you guys held hands and yes he is sleeping in your bed, but these actions could still be misconstrued. Neither of you really had human contact like this before. He could just be wanting and exhibiting some platonic affection. You can't say for sure that he truly wants this to become sexual.

It is at this point in your musings that Jake shifts in his sleep. He roles toward you draping an arm across your chest. You can't help but stare at him. His peaceful expression, his even breaths, his ...wait, the dork fell asleep with is glasses on? You smile at him and cautiously sit up a little. His arm slides down a little and is now across your stomach. You reach down and gingerly remove his glasses and set them on the table next to the bed. His hair is dry now, it looks really soft. You tentatively run you fingers through it. His hair is soft and perfect and you are practically hypnotized by it. Before you know it you are tracing circles on the back of his scalp.

He shifts and you pause. Has he woken up? "You can keep doing that, it feels really nice." whispers the object of your affection. "H-how long have you been awake? Sorry, I wasn't trying to wake you or be ...creepy" you say, your stolid voice waivering. "Not very long. And it's okay, it's not creepy...it's nice. Really nice." he says. He moves a little closer, his head now on your chest and his fingers tracing circles into your stomach. "I like you Dirk"

You are caught off guard by the sudden confession. Your hesitancy causes him to shift and look directly into your eyes, he's just as nervous as you are. "I-I like you too Jake" any pretense of stoicism has left your voice. It was more raw than you wanted it to come out, but Jake seems to take solace in it. He smiles that bright, goofy, adorable smile at you and cuddles into your chest. The two of you lay there in silence. You, running your fingers through his hair and him, tracing circles into your abdomen. You don't know how long you two stay like that before you fell asleep. But it was the best night's sleep you've ever had.


	4. Watching a Movie (?)

Jake had planned the entire evening. First he was going to allude to the obvious movie choice of Avatar. He and Dirk had been talking about it, Dirk knew how much he loved that movie and his love for cerulean anything. Then, when the cinematic images started to across the screen Dirk would be pleasantly surprised with anime! Jake didn't know much about anime, but it seemed to be nothing more than Japanese children's cartoons. He didn't really get the appeal, but Dirk liked it and he really wanted Dirk to enjoy his time over here. Jake had found a huge list of anime on the internet before they entered the medium. At the time he was trying to connect with Dirk more, but would inevitably get side-tracked. He had only downloaded a couple different anime, so it's not like he had a had a huge selection to choose from (for the sake of the story, let's assume that everything but pesterchum is now offline). Jake probably should have waited longer to invite Dirk over; he hadn't had a chance to watch any of the cartoons yet and no longer had access to the summaries. His only real choice at this moment was to go based on title. Perhaps inviting Dirk over two days after exploring LOTAK wasn't the best idea. He was still kind of tired when he got home (despite the very nice cuddle nap) and the place was a mess and needed sprucing before guest could come through the door. Thank god Dirk insisted on bringing the food and drinks, otherwise Jake would have been in real trouble. Thankfully everything was ready to go. His place was clean, his bed was made, and his laptop was connected to his TV ready to play the cinematic goodies.

Jake anxiously waited for Dirk's arrival. He quietly watched out his window and when he saw Dirk walking up to his door he ran to open it. Only after doing this does he realize that it may come across as a little desperate. Dirk doesn't comment though, maybe he didn't notice. "Sup Jake" greets Dirk.

"Hey, come on it." replies Jake, sans his old timey speak, due to nervousness; this Dirk catches. "You okay?" he asks. "Yeah Yeah, I'm just really excited about watching the movie! It's going to be great!" Jake responds a little too quickly to be natural, but Dirk ignores it.

"Let me guess, Avatar?"

Jake just smiles and motions for Dirk to follow him. His room is nice and big, along with his TV. He never really needed much furniture, so the only place to really sit was his bed. The boys settle in and Dirk brings out popcorn and orange soda for the movie. "I think you'll like what we're going to be watching Dirk." says Jake trying his best to keep the excitement out of his voice, but failing. He never was very good with surprises. Dirk seems to misconstrues Jake's excitement and assumes it's related to the movie and chooses to stay quiet.

As the movie starts to play, Dirk immediately realizes they are watching Attack on Titan. He looks over at Jake to see the boy giving a sheepish smile. "Do you like it?" he asks. Dirk replies with a warm smile "This is awesome Jake, thanks. But are you sure you okay watching this? I mean it pretty violent."

Jake waves his hand in dismissal, "It's fine, I mean it's a cartoon, how bad could it be?"

Dirk decided to leave it alone, but continued to watch Jake as the anime played. Jake, clearly was not prepared for the amount of violence a mere "cartoon" could depict. Poor Jake, his face soon drained of color and he started to look like he might puke. The boy was an adventurer, but was not familiar with this level of violence; however his pride wouldn't let him voice his discomfort. Dirk knew this fact though. He reached forward and stopped the anime. Jake looked up, half relieved half worried. "Don't you like it?" he asks.

"Jake I love that you did this for me, but I can tell from your face that you are going to have nightmares tonight about this. Let's watch Avatar."

Jake, wouldn't let this happen though, a gentlemen never shows cowardice. What's more he wanted to bond with Dirk some, Dirk had already put forth an effort with the LOTAK adventure. It was Jake's turn to show he could like something Dirk liked. "No, let's keep watching, you seemed to be enjoying it. I can like anime, I just wasn't prepared for it to...be like this."

Dirk wouldn't let the issue go either "No, I'm not going to be responsible for traumatizing you over an anime; forget it."

They both just stared at each other for a few seconds. Neither backing down. Dirk realized that Jake could be just as stubborn as himself and decided to take a different course of action. "Okay, let's just see what else you've got, maybe we can reach a compromise." Jake relented at this and brought up his small collection of anime on his computer. Truth was, he did feel a little queasy from graphic depictions on screen. Dirk looked them over, there were only five. Attack on Titan which they just tried to watch, no. Elfin Lied, which Dirk worried would still be too violent after what they just watched, no. Diabolik Lovers, hell no, not only is it a crappy anime, but would be awkward as hell at this early stage in their relationship. Ouran High School Host Club, not a bad choice, but the Hitachins could still make Jake a bit uncomfortable, maybe. And finally, Card Captor Sakura, Dirk would never say this out loud, but he freaking LOVED super girl anime. Sadly, in an un-ironic way. It was just so cute and happy and awesome. Plus, it will be far more attuned to what Jake was expecting, hell yes.

Dirk started it up and Jake sat back and watched. It was the complete opposite of what the previous anime had been. They watched the first four episode; finishing off the popcorn and the orange soda. After the fourth episode ended Dirk paused the anime and turned to Jake. "What do you think?"

Jake gave a bashful smile. He felt kind of stupid for getting so freaked out that Dirk felt the need to put on a clearly G rated anime, but he liked it. "It's really cute, I actually wouldn't mind watching more."

Dirk smiled at this put his arm around Jake and the scooted closer to each other; into a full-on cuddle position. As they started up the next episode Dirk said "Thanks Jake, this has been an awesome day." Jake smiled to himself cuddle Dirk a little more and said "I'm glad you've enjoyed it, maybe we should do this more often?"

Dirk couldn't hide the grin that broke across his face. "Yeah, definitely."


	5. Date

After three days of anime and movie watching both boys were eager to actually get some physical activity in. Neither were the type for a sedentary lifestyle. Once again, the ever surprising Jake English had been the to propose activity. Amidst the marathon of anime and movies, he made known his desire to learn how to use a sword. Dirk, agreed to lessons, however, only in exchange for shooting lessons. Both boys were secretly ecstatic for their date, however both played it down so as not to come across as clingy.

Jake had a harder time controlling his excitement though. He eagerly gathered cans and a variety of guns, plus bullets for target practice. He arrived at the meeting spot an hour early for no other reason than shear enthusiasm. Dirk arrived on time with a few swords in hand."Hey, have you been waiting long?"

Jake, afraid of appearing overbearing replied "No, I showed up a few minutes early to set up is all."

Dirk seemed to relax at this statement. The shift in expression was almost imperceptible, but Jake's increased contact with the boy made him more aware of the other's expressions and privy to these minor inflections; both in sight and in sound. Jake was afraid to say it out loud, for fear of making Dirk self-conscious about his emotions. Still, the fact that Jake was starting to catch this details made him feel connected with Dirk, it made him feel special. Like he was learning a special language that Dirk was doling out to him bit by bit, like he was letting Jake in at his own pace.

"Which should we start with?" Dirk interrupted his thoughts.

"Golly, I'm not sure. Whichever you prefer."

"Let's start with swords, I brought dull ones so they will be less dangerous." Dirk bounced the blunt sword off his hand to emphasize his point.

Jake beamed "Alrighty."

Dirk walked Jake through the proper stance and way to hold the sword. Jake didn't realize how precise things were and struggled a little to keep things in proper alignment once Dirk started walking him through basic moves. At one point every time he attempted a particular swing Dirk had to stop him and point out issues with his form. Jake just wasn't getting it. Seeing the frustration on his face, Dirk stepped behind him and wrapped him arms around, grasping Jake's hands between his own.

"Like this." Dirk manipulated Jake's hands and arms to perform the swing properly.

Jake wasn't paying attention though. All he could think about was Dirk's strong, muscled arms around him and his gorgeous face next Jake's own. Jake tried desperately to suppress the blush climbing from his cheeks to the rest of his face. For once though, Dirk appeared to be oblivious. Dirk's voice seemed to contain a controlled enthusiasm as he talked about the sport that he so loved.

Finally, getting the feeling that Jake wasn't paying attention, Dirk pulled away. "I'm not explaining this very well am I? Why don't we switch and I try to explain it better next time. Sorry, Jake I guess I not a very good teacher."

Jake, successfully containing his blush, shook his head. "N-no" damn his voice for not remaining steady. "I'm just get easily distracted sometimes. I apologize, that was not very gentlemanly of me."

Dirk smirked "What was distracting you English?"

Jake's blush started to rise again "N-nothing" god damn it. "Here, I'll show you how to shoot."

Dirk was going to continue teasing Jake, but Jake quickly started going through the basics of shooting a gun, which distracted Dirk from his teasing inclinations. After explaining the basics Jake handed him a gun and told him to fire at the cans on the large rock. Dirk fired...and missed. He was also a little surprised at the recoil of the gun. It wasn't like hitting something with a sword and keeping the blade steady. It was more difficult than that. After a few more attempts and suggestions from Jake, he was still not hitting those damn cans. Jake, took a page from Dirk's book and stepped behind the anime shades wearing boy. It was a little more difficult given that Dirk was a bit taller, but he still managed.

It was Dirk's turn to be hyper aware of their positioning. Jake was giving him tips and helping him steady the gun, oblivious much like Dirk had been. They fired the gun together..it successfully hit the can. However, Dirk was too distracted, Jake smelled intoxicating, like the freaking jungle. Like every tree, plant and speck of dirt that he had ever come across had accumulated on his skin and created this musky masculine scent. The sound of the gun firing added a small uptick in Dirk's adrenaline, which, mixed with his already heightened hormonal levels, was enough to push him out of his social barrier. He turned his face to look at Jake's goofy, satisfied smile and leaned in...


	6. Kissing

_(Dirk) turned his face to look at Jake's goofy, satisfied smile and leaned in..._

...And awkwardly collided with the corner of Jake's mouth. The boys broke apart from their intimate position and reeled back in a moment of pain, clutching the sides of their respective faces.

Dirk face betrayed him as a blush spread, bright red, across his face. He wanted to speak, but was too embarrassed. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Jake.

Jake, for his part, was a little caught of guard by Dirk's actions and it took him a moment to realize what Dirk's attempted action actually was. The bright red face of the blonde was the clue that allowed Jake to piece everything together. It was something he wanted too, he had just been afraid of pushing Dirk too fast. Given their current situation though, Jake was pretty sure what he was about to do would be alright.

He approached to boy, gently took Dirk's face in is hands and placed a tentative kiss on the other's lips. Dirk froze for just a second, but responded with enthusiasm and passion that Jake did not think was possible. Dirk fervently place his arms around Jake's waist bringing the boy closer to him; closing the gap between them. It was this action though that brought Jake out of the moment. Dirk still had the gun in his hand. Jake liked Dirk, like really liked him; okay, he loves him. However, he wasn't very comfortable with a novice holding a gun with the safety off against his back.

Jake pulled away. Dirk, caught up in the moment tried to follow, closing the gap between their lips once more. Only to feel Jake's hands on his arms, pulling the limbs away from the young male's torso. What had he done? Was he a bad kisser? Did he push Jake too far? Jake was the one to kiss him, this was what he wanted, right? These and a dozen other questions racing through Dirks mind. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he let his nervous tick, biting his lip, seep out into public view.

Once Jake had untangled himself from Dirk's arms, he quietly removed the gun from the boy's hand, turn the safety back on and, carefully set it down next them. He turned back to Dirk, and was met with the sight of the boy biting his lip. This caught Jake off guard. Normally, he sees only what Dirk wants him to see. Only the expressions that have been approved by the stoic boy's filter. Now though, now Jake felt like he was seeing a vulnerability. It was incredibly endearing. He reached out and tenderly removed the shades from the blonde's face; surprised again, that he was met with no resistance. With the shades no longer obstructing his view he could see that Dirk was lost in thought. His stunning orange eyes unfocused. He could practically hear the cacophony of thoughts barraging the other's mind. Jake had never seen so much of Dirk. He had never seen the boy so vulnerable. The fact that Derse dreamer even allowed himself to get this lost in thought was a testament to how unguarded he had become around Jake. Jake felt an abundance of affection swell in his chest and sweetly kissed the other boy.

Dirk, having been lost in thought, grew wide eyed as he was kissed again by the object of his affection. This was a more chaste kiss than the last one and was fleeting, only lasting a few seconds. When the green eyed boy pulled back, Dirk realized that he no longer had his shades on. His shield was gone and he hadn't even noticed. How? How did he get that comfortable that Jake was able to take his glasses OFF HIS FACE while he was awake? How did that happen? Is he really that negligent? Has he become that much of a space case that he-

Dirk was once again cut off from his internal rantings by his boyfriend's lips. Dirk's face was really easy to read without the glasses. Jake could see the mental bomb going off in Dirk's mind and decided it was time to bring that boy back down to LOMAX. Jake smiled "For the record, love, I only pulled away because I would rather not be shot on accident by a novice in the throws of a romantic activity." And with that Jake's face was back on Dirk's. His arms around the blonde's neck, while Dirk's returned to his boyfriend's waist.

Dirk would have thought about asking for his shades back, if there wasn't something else sticking out fully in his mind. _"He called me "love". Not "chap", not "old sport", but "love"._

 **AN:**

 **Okay, this will be the last chapter I update on a daily basis. I will still upload regularly. I just want an extra day for edits. So, updates will be every other day from now on.**


	7. Wearing Each Others' Clothes

_Notes: Okay, this is going to seem like the "cooking/baking" prompt, but it DOES change to fit the title. I really like them cooking together so there is going to be another chapter with that as well._ Chapter Text

After spending some time in each others' arms the two boys packed up their things and headed toward Jake's house. Hand in hand,basking in a new level of intimacy and comfort with each other, the two decided to stay together tonight. Dirk hadn't prepared for an over night venture and was without a change of clothes or pajamas. He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't really want to leave Jake's side right now. After what happened during the lessons, all he wanted was to stay near Jake; maybe continue what they had started.

Jake had thought of this though. "You can always borrow some of my clothes, love."

 _Love,_ there was that term again. God, it was nice to hear that. "Sure, if you don't mind."

Jake gave that adorable bucktoothed smile again. "Not at all."

When the two entered the house Jake placed his guns on a table in the living room, he needed to clean them soon. Dirk, always a little on edge when things seem their most content, went through the possibilities and variables of how the night could go. However, Jake interrupted his musings before he could get too deep into thought. "What would you like to eat?" Jake had a hidden enthusiasm for cooking. The boy could make just about anything and make it VERY well.

Dirk didn't know this though. "Whatever you like if fine with me. Should I use the alchemiter to whip us up some pizza or something?"

Jake headed towards the kitchen. "Nah, I want to make something." He looked through his cabinets and fridge trying to decided on what to make. Dirk wandered into the kitchen to find his boyfriend staring at the food in the fridge, apparently deep in thought. A spark appeared in the raven haired boy's eyes as he turned to look at Dirk, "Would chicken pot pie be okay?"

"Sure, like I said, I fine with whatever...You can cook Jake?"

"Yeah, my grandma taught me. I know all of her favorite recipes by heart and her chicken pot pie is great. I've only made it a few times myself, but I have everything for it and I really think you'd like it." Jake quickly got to work gathering the ingredients and setting them on the counter. Prepping the dough. Dirk wasn't really one for cooking, it took too much time. He tends to prefer something quick so he could focus on his projects; which basically means he eats a lot of frozen dinners.

With the dough prepped Jake wrapped in in cling wrap and placed it in the fridge. "Cold dough rolls out better." he explained. And with that he started chopping the carrots and celery for the filling. The look in his eye had an intensity unlike what Dirk had seen from the boy before. It wasn't like the look he gets during an adventure. That is more like a frenetic high that seeps out every pore of his being. This was a focused, controlled intensity, that was enrapturing to watch. Dirk didn't want to be a poor house guest though, "Would you like some help?"

"That would be wonderful, love" replied Jake. He handed Dirk a knife and the two worked quietly, chopping away.

After all of the preparations for the for the filling had been accomplished, Jake brought out the pie dough and placed in on a well floured surface. As he was rolling it out Dirk just watched. He loved that acute passion in Jake's eyes. It was something that seemed so rare for the boy, so precious, and all because he wanted to make something for Dirk. He felt a wave of tenderness and warmth for Prospit dreamer. He had to use every bit of self control not to kiss him. He didn't want to distract Jake, he didn't want his eyes to lose that focused vigor.

Jake wiped his brow with the back of his wrist, smearing some flour onto his face. Dirk just smiled to himself; he hoped to see Jake cook more often in the future.

The pie was assembled and Jake placed it in the oven, after he set the timer he looked at himself to realize he was covered in flour. He never was very neat in the kitchen. Dirk was just standing there staring at him, a well of fondness shone through his eyes. This lasted only for a second though, as they quickly turned to a playful, devious, twinkle. "You aren't really a neat person are you." A smirk played across Dirk's lips. He liked to tease, Jake like to tease too.

"No, not really, but neither are you." As he finished his sentence Jake took some of the left over flour on the counter and threw it onto Dirk. Dirk, not one to be out done, did the same. Although, it had less of a visual effect, given that Jake was already covered in the powder. They went back and forth for a little bit and it didn't take long for the entire kitchen floor and themselves to be covered in flour. The boys were laughing though, both a little giddy at their own playfulness.

"My, we're a mess. The pie still has an hour and a half, why don't you take a shower while I clean up. Leave your clothes outside the bathroom and I wash them and give you a fresh set." Jake said. Dirk agreed, while goofing off was fun, he didn't particularly like feeling of flour in his hair.

Jake swept up the flour and cleaned himself up as best he could. He went to his room and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt for Dirk. He exchanged them for the flour covered clothes by the bathroom door. As he was walking to the laundry room he notice a subtle scent of oil mixed with something else. He realized it was Dirk's clothes. As he stood there in the laundry room, he couldn't help but inhale the scent from the clothes. They smelled of Dirk. They smelled of oil and grease and an fleeting hint of oranges. He held out the clothes before him and wondered how they would fit on him. Dirk was still in the shower, it couldn't hurt to just try them on. He changed and walked over to the mirror in the corner of the room. The shirt was a touch baggy on him and the pants were a bit tight, no booty room. Still, there was something intoxicating about wearing his dearest's clothing and having the scent sink into his skin. He just wanted to spend a few extra minutes basking in this moment.

Dirk had finished his shower, dried, and open the door a crack to retrieve the raiment that Jake left for him. As he dressed he became aware of the difference in body type between himself and Jake. The t-shirt was tight in the shoulders and around his chest, it looked like on of those obnoxious body-builder tees on him. The pants, however, were surprisingly loose. He didn't have Jakes high, firm, plump ass. Not wanting to stretch out Jake's t-shirt anymore than he already had, Dirk removed the tee and made his way to Jake's room. Maybe there was a different shirt in there that wasn't quite as small. As he passed the laundry room he saw a gripping sight. Jake was wearing his clothes. Dirk couldn't deny that it was kind of hot to see Jake in his clothes. The shirt a little too big and the pants too tight; although Dirk liked it; it framed the curves of Jake's ass nicely. Still, Dirk loved to tease. "If you wanted in my pants that badly Jake all you had to do was ask."

Hearing Dirk's voice Jake turned from the mirror and was met with an arousing sight. Dirk was shirtless, his muscled, toned chest out in full view. His eyes burned with a playful affection and...desire? Jake's face turned as red as a tomato. Words failed him. He didn't really need them though as Dirk was on him pretty fast. Lips crushed against his own in a passionate kiss, tongue slipping out of his beloved's mouth asking for entrance to his own. Jake obliged, submitting instantly, allowing Dirk's tongue to explore his mouth. Jake moaned a little into the kiss. Dirk, encouraged by this wrapped his arms around his sweetheart's waist pressing their bodies flush against each other. Jake could feel the warmth of Dirk's chest left over from the hot water of the shower, he could feel Dirk's muscles through the thin fabric of the shirt he was wearing. He could feel his boyfriend's hands wander from the small of his back, downward, giving a playful squeeze to his ass. Another moan escaped his lips, louder and embarrassing for the boy. He pulled away, "I-I've got to go check on the pie" he stuttered out.

Dirk just smirked at his flustered boyfriend. "Okay, I'm going to find a different shirt. This one's too small, unless you'd rather me stay as I am" his devious grin growing larger.

"I-I-I" Jake forced himself to calm down. "I'm going to leave that up to you. There are some larger shirts in my closet if you are interested." His face still bright red as he bolted the laundry room.

Jake checked the timer, 45 minutes left. Enough time for a cold shower.

 _Notes:_ _I tend to think that Dirk has a fairly muscular torso and arms, due to the sword training. However, since he couldn't really move much given his living situation, the lower half of his body isn't particularly toned. The opposite for Jake. Jake could run around an island that was al least partially over grown. Given his need to explore, I could see Jake walking around everywhere on his island. However, given his use of guns, he never really had to build up is upper body. He did have brobot for a while, but it looked like the robot always overpowered him._


	8. Cosplay

After Jake finished his shower, he realized he had forgotten to bring clothes into the bathroom with him. Wrapping a towel around himself he cautiously opened the door and made his way to his room, hoping that he wouldn't run into Dirk. It's not that he didn't enjoy the kiss in the laundry room and he even liked Dirk grabbing his butt, however he was also a bit insecure. He had no real idea of what he was doing or how things usually go in this kind of relationship. Yeah, he had seen a few relationships in movies, but they were typically a side note of an overarching plot. Plus, movies weren't real life. He knew that things rarely went that smoothly and he was just scared of messing things up, doing something wrong, or not measuring up to Dirk's expectations. He was a little scared of the uncharted territory that was their relationship. Normally he loved adventure, but this was something so far out of his scope that he couldn't help but feel vulnerable. And walking down the hallway without any clothes on wasn't helping that feeling. Thankfully, Dirk must have been in the living room or the kitchen; as Jake did not run into him or of catch sight of him on his mission to get some clothes.

As Jake entered his bedroom, he saw that every dresser draw was open and empty; his closet door was ajar and the insane amount of shirts that he once had (grandma wanted to make sure he always had clothes that fit, so she stocked him with shirts and shorts in every size imaginable) were all completely gone. On his bed was a shirt, a jacket, pants, a hat, and a whip; with a note resting along side everything. He opened the note and it read:

 _Hey Jake,_

 _I've got a surprise for our entertainment tonight. Cosplay is a requirement, put it on and meet me in the kitchen._

Jake put on the clothes and took a look in the mirror. If the costume was any indication, they would be watching an Indiana Jones movie. Dirk had chastised him before about not watching the first movie in the series, as it apparently was worlds better from the Crystal Skull. Still, Jake wasn't a big fan of pants. The always felt really restrictive. So, Jake took a pair of scissors from the junk drawer in his room and cut the pants to his preferred length. Which was practically booty shorts level. Perfect. He realized at this moment that the pie was still in the oven and the timer should go off any second if it hadn't already. Worried for his comestible he ran as fast as he could to the oven.

Dirk had been waiting in the kitchen. He had packed a couple of movies before their date just in case things went south and they needed a back up plan. He packed the cosplay because...well, wishful thinking frankly. It was quite fortunate for him that he was able to use both; even when the date had gone fantasticly well. He was curious to see how Jake would look as Indiana Jones and the costume itself wasn't weird or elaborate the way some of his cosplay could be. As for his costume, it was related to the second movie they would watch tonight. It was an anime, but it was unusual.

Jake rushed into the kitchen not even seeing Dirk, just desperate to get to his foodstuff out of the oven. Thankfully, he arrived right as the timer went off and was able to retrieve the pie and set it on a cooling rack. Once it's been allowed to cool for a bit he could serve it. He turned to find Dirk, in some sort of orange getup ...and blue skin. His blonde hair down with a headband around his forehead.

Dirk was slightly caught off guard by Jake clothing. He had set them out on the boy's bed, but he distinctly remembered leaving pants. The boy in front of him was not wearing pants. He was wearing short shorts. It appeared that English cut the pants, was he trying to seduce Dirk? Or was he simply that averse to having his legs covered? After what happened in the laundry room, Dirk figured it must be the latter. He knew that Jake enjoyed their little moment, but he also worried that he pushed his boyfriend too far, too fast. Jake feeling the need to not only end their romantic interlude, but run away had told Dirk that he may have taken things a bit too far. He figured the movies would help bring things back to a comfortable place for Jake, while the cosplay was an added bonus, it also served to test how much Jake was comfortable with. Dirk resolved not to do anything, however he dressed and painted his skin in Jake's favorite hue; as a sort of invitation. Jake would have to be the one to make the first move to shift things into an amorous direction. Dirk used the cosplay as a subtle nudge, while keeping the ball firmly in Jake's court.

Jake responded positively to Dirk's appearance. A light red dusting his cheeks. He didn't take the bait though, which was fine with Dirk. He could wait.

"That can't possibly be from Indiana Jones" said the rosy tinted boy.

"No, this is the second movie we'll be viewing tonight. It's an anime, but it's worlds different from what we've watched before."

"Why cosplay anyway?"

"It enhances the viewing experience."

"...What would you like to drink?" asked Jake, changing the subject as well as giving himself a reason to turn away from Dirk. The red glowing a bit brighter on his cheeks.

"Whatever you have, I'm not picky."

Jake took out two bottles of orange soda and handed one to Dirk. The cerulean male gave him a look of mild surprise and Jake responded "Since, we've been hanging out together more, I thought it would be a good idea to have some stuff of you preferred libations around." Jake's blush was reaching maximum levels again, rapidly approach tomato territory.

Dirk just gave him a tender smile. "Thanks"

Jake busied himself with plating a piece of pot pie for each of them. He handed one to Dirk and Dirk made his way to a small table just outside the kitchen. "Nah, let's go to my room. I usually eat on my bed anyway."

Dirk followed him to the bedroom and popped in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The boys settled in for the movie, placing the drinks on the nightstands on either side of the bed. Dirk took a big bite of the pot pie. It was the single best thing he had ever tasted. The inside was creamy, but vegetables were still firm, not mushy. And the crust was a wonderful buttery, flakey delight without being too hard. "Oh my god Jake, this is the best thing ever." said Dirk with a half full mouth.

Jake beamed. "I'm so glad you like it!"

Dirk continued scarf down the pie and left the room, returning a few minutes later with seconds. Jake smiled to himself and continued to watch the movie.

Jake thoroughly enjoyed the movie at one point getting so swept up in it that he forgot that Dirk was dressed in such an enticing way, or was even there. He was given a reminder however, when he go so caught up in the moment that he flailed the whip around during the excitement of a particularly action-packed scene, and hit Dirk square in the face. Jake apologized profusely, Dirk said it was fine. He didn't break the skin, only smudged the make-up and made Dirk's face sting a little. Truth was, Dirk found out something about himself in that moment that he didn't want to dwell on in this particular situation. Instead he got up, reapplied the blue make-up and retrieved a third helping of pie; much to Jake's delight (he needs to cook for Dirk more often, such a wonderful feeling).

"Time for the other movie? What's it called anyway?" asked Jake when Dirk moved to put a new DVD in.

"It's called Interstella 5555 and it's unusual, even by anime standards. There's no dialogue, but the soundtrack more than makes up for it." Dirk explained.

The boys watched the 65 minute film. Jake found it really interesting, and not just because of all the blue ladies. The film was really interesting and artistic. He really liked the relationship between Stella and Shep, even if it only a fleeting romance that wasn't fully realized. It was actually because, it wasn't fully realized that it stuck out so much. The soundtrack was pretty awesome too. Jake wasn't crazy about techno music, but this had an interesting edge to it.

At the end of the film Dirk asked "What did you think?"

"It was really interesting. I'm amazed at how well the story was told, given that there is absolutely no dialogue. It was kind of trippy in some parts, but in a sort of brilliant way."

"Yeah, it awesome isn't it? I mean it had so many things going on and the storyline is actually fairly complex, given that whole cult thing. And I really like that the humans weren't assholes in this and the aliens weren't tyrannical bitches. It's like, an almost ideal reaction from both parties if you don't count the guy and his cyborgs that kidnapped the blue aliens. It just, like, a perfect reality that isn't ours, but it could be? Like if we can create a new universe from this game, we have the chance to make it a utopia. It probably wouldn't last long, someone will always put their greed before the good of the majority. But still it could be possible..." At this point Dirk seemed to retreat into his own mind a bit.

Jake couldn't help but simper at how animated Dirk had become about the movie. While Dirk hated the Condese and often appeared very cynical toward humanity and aliens in general, there was an idealistic dreamer in him; and it was showing now. Yet, Jake knew that this wasn't completely true. Dirk _was_ a cynic, but there was something that allowed him to retain this idealism. Just when Jake felt like he pulled off the enigma wrapping of Dirk, he found a paradox inside. He was both a bitter cynic and a starry-eyed idealist. He was so complex and capable of some amazing feats, hell, it was his single handedly executed plan that got them and Roxy and Jane into the medium. He was truly astonishing, and he liked Jake. This extraordinary person, saw something in Jake. Maybe it was due to the late our, maybe it was because he felt like he discovered yet another facet of Dirk that intrigued him, maybe it's because Dirk was painted blue, or maybe it was all three. Regardless, Jake was just enraptured by his boyfriend in that moment. He leaned in and kissed him. Hand resting on his beloved's shoulders, pushing gently as he climbed on top.

Dirk was ripped out of his thought process; surprised by Jake's sudden forwardness, but wasn't about to turn it down. He felt a slight pressure on his shoulders and complied with the silent request. He wrapped his arms loosely around his boyfriend's waist, not wanting the moment to end, yet afraid of pushing Jake too far. Jake seemed okay with it though, he licked Dirk's lips. Dirk allowed him entrance and let Jake explore. Dirk as gentle, not wanting to appear over eager, or expecting of anything Jake was uncomfortable with. The weight of his chosen one on his body was enough to make the boy dizzy. He needed to maintain control, let Jake steer things and not rush. He let is hands caress his boyfriend's back, a tender reciprocation to convey his love. In response Jake's hands moved up, running them through Dirk's hair. It may not have been a passionate fervor that one would expect from teenage boys, but it had a different kind of intensity, one of mutual warmth and adoration. Dirk moaned a little as he felt Jake's fingers massage his scalp and comb his hair. Jake smiled a little into their kiss, rescinding his tongue. Thus, allowing Dirk to resume the exploration of his mouth that they had started earlier.

They stayed like this for a while, not going any further. Both enjoyed the increased intimacy that seemed to have skyrocketed from where it was this morning. Jake wasn't comfortable going any further and Dirk didn't force him. After they finished their mini-make-out session they cuddled for a bit and fell asleep, both with blue face paint all over their faces.

 ** _Notes: Okay, this one was kind of hard for me to pin down exactly how I wanted it to go. I hope it was okay. Also, I think I might bounce around the list a little bit. I'm finally starting to settle on how I want this to go and in order to get a certain series of events, I have to switch it around a little._**


	9. Genderswapped

_**Notes: Fast update since this is a really short chapter that doesn't really go anywhere. Genderswapp was the one prompt that I struggled the most with. I just wasn't sure where to put it or how to use it.**_

When the two boys woke up the next morning, they were pleased and terrified with how the previous day had gone. Jake both loved and was anxious about his own actions the night before. Dirk worried that he let Jake see too much of him too fast. His cool kid demeanor had all but vanished, his face without a shield, his emotions on display. Dirk and Jake were both suddenly very uncomfortable with how far they had gone, both physically and emotionally. Worried and overwhelmed with themselves and each other, they separated for a few days.

Jake thought about contacting Dirk. three days had passed, the emotions that had threated to inundate him a few days before had calmed down. Still, something else had surfaced these few days apart. Jake had been having strange dreams he wasn't sure how to handle. Dirk had been pestering him via pesterchum. Small things, mostly just touching base and making sure Jake was all right. Jake had been touched by the sentiment, but his responses didn't reflect his feelings; mostly one word answers were what Dirk received as a response. Jake wasn't trying to be cold, it's just every time he saw that orange text he was reminded of his weird dreams.

 _J_ _ake woke up, the opposite side of the bed a mess. He rolls out of bed and made his way to the kitchen. As he arrives he finds a rather busty blonde drinking coffee and looking over a book on the countertop. He smiles to himself, wrapping his arms around her._

 _"Hey, whatcha reading?"_

 _"Morning sleepyhead. A book on string theory. I figured knowing as much about the theories of the universe as possible might help us when the game kicks into high gear."_

 _"Hmm" Jake hums contentedly._

 _The blonde turns her face and meets his with a kiss. "You should get ready, we're meeting Roxy and Jane soon. "_

 _"Righto"_

 _Jake makes his way to the bathroom, prepping his toothbrush. He looks up to the mirror in front of the sink and is met with the sight of a curvy raven haired beauty. He is unaffected my this and just brushes his teeth. He finishes up and changes his clothes, his typical skull tank top and skin hugging short shorts._

 _He's in the living room now. Standing opposite of the busty Dirk, long blonde hair framing his shoulders and bust beautifully. He was wearing a beautiful orange sundress that hugged his feminine body in all the right places; but flared out at hips; creating a wonderfully romantic image. Jake moved and kissed his sweetheart tenderly._

 _As he pulled back, their female forms were gone. However, Dirk was still in that lovely dress and it looked just as good on his male body as it had on the female version. Jake loved it and leaned in once more, kissing the boy with more fervor than before. The blonde eagerly responded. The mood started to escalate, becoming more passionate by the minute._

Jake woke up with a start. He sat up, breathing heavily. It was the same dream he had had for the past three nights in a row. He held his head in his hands, what did the dreams mean? Why did these dreams keep happening? And why did Dirk look so damn good in a dress? He fell back into his pillows, trying not to dwell on the dream. He needed rest.

 _ **Notes: I know I went back and forth with pronoun usage. I figured that even if the boys had female bodies in the dream, Jake would still innately equate them as males. Hope that makes sense.**_


	10. Animal Ears

Two days later Jake was finally able to ignore his dreams and decided to pay Dirk a visit. Considering he had been kind of distant over pesterchum, he decided that connecting with Dirk in person would be a better way to make up for his self imposed isolation. He arrived at Dirk's apartment door and let himself in. Dirk wasn't one for locking doors, why would he be? He lives in the middle of nowhere. Jake, wanting to preserve the surprise element of his visit, tiptoed around; carefully looking into a few rooms before concluding that Dirk must be in his bedroom. He gently pushed the door open "Surprise Dirk! Sorry, I've been ...so...withdrawn...lately..."

Jake was met with the sight of Dirk, on his bed, wearing orange pjs, his shades, and a pair of pink, furry, cat ears. Dirk scrambled out of bed to meet his boyfriend, a small blush coating his cheeks. "Oh, hi Jake. D-don't worry about it, I understand..."

Silence laden the room like a viscous syrup. Dirk could feel his heart beat in his chest. This wasn't something he really liked to show people and it didn't help that Tokyo Mew Mew was playing on his TV. He had presented his affinity for super girl anime as an ironic interest to Jake. Not only that, but other than the cosplay from few days ago, Jake had never been privy to the sheer amount of cosplay pieces and outfits Dirk had. Dirk just thanked whatever god there is out there that he wasn't wearing the matching bell-collar and tail.

Jake for his part just gawked there for a few moments. However, when the ears started to rotate a bit on there own, he couldn't help himself. He burst into a fit of giggles.

Dirk's blush spread to the rest of his face and down his neck at his boyfriend's amusement. This only made Jake giggle harder. "I-I-I S-s-orry Dirk, I j-jus- hahahaha" Jake wanted to reassure his boyfriend; but the sight of Dirk's glasses, a symbol of stoicism, coupled with the cat ears and blush was just too cute. Jake was laughing because it was adorable and out of character for Dirk.

Dirk didn't take it this way though, groaning he sat on his bed again, burying his face in his pillow; cat ears still moving on their own. Jake probably thought he was stupid and ridiculous and would probably think he's too weird now. Oh god, he would probably tell the girls about this. Great, there goes his image. God, this was humiliating.

Jake made his way over to the bed, trying his best to suppress his giggles. He noticed one of Dirk's dresser drawers was ajar. And inside was a plethora of cat ears, they were different from the ones Dirk was wearing. These were mostly hard plastic with a little bit of soft fur on the inside of the ears. Jake, wanting to reassure his sweetheart, grabbed a pair of light green ears with black fur and placed them, as best he could on his head. Jake then sat down on Dirk's bed.

He lovingly, softly, carefully, pulled Dirk's face up from the pillow. Dirk kept his eyes downward, not that Jake would know. Jake wanted to see Dirk though, he wanted back the privilege Dirk had bestowed upon him just a few days before. He gingerly removed the shades. Dirk didn't protest, but he shut his eyes, he couldn't face the embarrassment. Jake affectionately kissed the blonde's lips. Only a peck though, as he moved to kiss his darling's cheeks, his forehead, his chin, his shut eyes, every inch of Dirk's face Jake kissed. He didn't want Dirk to feel self-conscious, he knew the distance probably shook Dirk's confidence a little and his reaction didn't help. He wanted to comfort his lovely.

Feeling the tenderness in his dear one's action Dirk tentatively opened his eyes. He saw Jake's new accessory and his blush, which had started to fade, erupted anew. His face was as red as a face could possibly get. He knew he had a cat ear moe, but seeing his heart's desire participate in said moe was almost too much. Jake picked up on Dirk's reaction (how could he not?) and before he could filter his words, they just fell out of his mouth. "You like what you see, Dirk?" The ears on Dirk's head went from a continual rotation to sticking straight up...Jake couldn't control himself... he burst in another fit of laughter.

Dirk groaned again and concealed his face with his hands, trying desperately to shield himself from the mortification that crashed over him like a tidal wave. Jake tried to pull his beloved's hands away from his wonderful face, but as he was still giggling like schoolgirl, this was unsuccessful. Jake instead brought Dirk's head, hands and all, into the crook of his neck. Kissing the top of his boyfriend's head, around the faux ears, Jake chanted reassurances and sweet nothings between chuckles. "I'm sorry, it's those ears! It's the way they moved at just the right time. It was just an accidental reaction. You are so cute in those ears. Don't be embarrassed. You're so adorable like this Dirk. So precious."

Dirk pulled his hands away from his face, but remained in the crook of Jake's neck. Arms wrapping around Jake, both wanting this moment to last forever and end immediately. He didn't want to admit that he liked the way Jake was treating him, this tenderness, this affection; it made him feel weak. A weakness that was both welcomed and scorned. A weakness that he wanted to drown in and run from. Dirk permitted himself to enjoy his boyfriend's ministrations, just this once. Hearing the sweet nothings in his ear and the kisses on his head, it truly was comforting and reminded him of much he missed Jake's touch this past week. Jake threaded his strong fingers through the blonde's hair. Dirk just closed his eyes relished the feeling, sighing contentedly.

Jake picked up on the shift in his dearest's mood and smiled to himself. He wouldn't tease Dirk about this, at least not for a while. But, he made a note of the blonde's preference for future enjoyment.

 _ **Notes:**_ _**BOOM! Another chapter done. This one was a lot easier for me to write than the last two. It's been one of the few chapters I've had in my mind from the beginning. I always pictured Dirk as having a variety of cosplay stuff. For those who may not know, he was wearing Nekomimi ears.**_

 _ **I probably should wait to post this, after all I already posted 2 chapters today...screw it. It may be a few days (or it could be in a few hours, who knows) before I post again. Maximum delay would only be until the weekend. Depends on free time, inspiration, etc.**_


	11. Shopping

The boys laid cuddling on Dirk's bed. Both with cat ears on. It had been a few days since Jake arrived at Dirk's apartment. At first Dirk insisted on hiding his variety of cosplay props and super girl anime, but Jake convinced his boyfriend to share his hidden adoration for all things cute. Which included cat ears, a variety of shoujo anime, my little pony, and a few previously well hidden stuffed animals; which now littered the bed they were laying on. Jake was pretty sure that there was more that Dirk had yet to show him, but he knew he had pushed his darling far enough for the time being.

Roxy had been pestering them for the few days; tired of the boys secluding themselves and wanting all of the alphas to meet up. She was hosting a party for not only the four teenagers, but for the chess people as well. However, since the Prospitians and Dersites didn't know how to cook, she requested that each of the humans bring food and drink. The boys were happy about the upcoming party and mulling over what they should bring.

"Orange soda, gotta bring orange soda" Dirk declaimed.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Fine. I really don't get your obsession with the drink."

"My 'obsession' is that it is ambrosia, nectar of the gods."

"Anyway, I was thinking of making lasagna. Grandma's recipe always make four huge pans, we'd end up eating it for weeks. Maybe a cake too. Although, Jane might be making a cake, so maybe something different."

"What about brownies?"

"Hmm...brownies could be good. With or without frosting?"

Dirk thought about it for a minute. "I don't know, do homemade brownies taste that different from packaged ones?"

"Worlds different...wait, have you never had brownies made from scratch before?"

"Nah. Actually, pretty much everything I've ever had was prepackaged. I've had fresh fish and crab before, given, you know, living in the middle of an ocean and I've made fresh salad on a few of the odd occasions when I tried to eat healthy. Other than that though, all prepackaged stuff."

"Where'd you get the veggies?"

"There's a small garden in one of the rooms. Bro left everything to maintain an indoor garden, I guess he wanted to make sure I had access to fresh produce."

"Okay, then. Brownies. I prefer them without frosting, so I'm not going to add that. A good brownie doesn't need it anyway."

Jake pulled away from the cuddle position and grabbed a notebook and a pen.

"What are you doing?" Dirk inquired.

"Making an ingredients list...could you help me with the alchemiter? That thing refuses to work for me."

"Sure, but it's going to cost you." Dirk said as he nuzzled his boyfriend's neck. Jake gave him a quick peck and smiled goofily. Dirk smirked, "C'mon English you can do better than that." Dirk cupped his sweetheart's face and brought it to his own, kissing the boy and lingering, melting into the kiss. Jake responded by setting down the paper and pen and moving his arms around his dearest's neck, deepening the kiss. Dirk was about to take things a little further when Jake suddenly moved away and quickly grabbed the writing materials once again.

"Oh, I CANNOT forget semisweet chocolate!"

Dirk smiled at his boyfriend. He was disappointed by the discontinuation or their romantic interlude, but he could see that spark he loves in Jake's eye. The one that only comes out when he's cooking. That intense, focused, enthusiastic spark; the price of which was tunnel vision. "Alright, let go, I'll help you get everything." Jake beamed and jumped up from the bed racing to the machine.

Dirk was not prepared for how particular Jake would be about his ingredients. The alchemiter didn't make brand related materials, so Jake insisted on taste testing to ingredients to make sure they were up to his standards. "There something off with this chocolate."

"I don't like the look of this ground beef."

"Is there any way we can get whole wheat flour?"

"Are we sure this is all-purpose flour? If it's pastry flour it will ruin the texture."

Quite frankly, Dirk had no idea how many varieties there were of each ingredient. It took three hours for them to finally gather everything, but Jake was satisfied. Dirk was exhausted. About half way through he thought about telling Jake to work with what they had already alchemized, but after that chicken pot pie last week he wasn't going to question Jake's preferences on the matter.

"Thanks for being so patient, love." Jake said as he happily captchalogged all of the ingredients.

"We alchemized enough stuff to make everything for the party and dinner tonight. Omelets okay?"

"Never had one."

Jake's mouth dropped wide open. "What?"

"I told you, I survive primarily on pre-packed dinners, never came across a frozen omelet."

Jake's face suddenly changed from a look of shock to one of determination. "Go relax, I'm making dinner."

About 45 minutes later Jake called Dirk into the kitchen. It was Dirk's turn to give a shocked expression. His boyfriend made a dozen different omelets, each with different fillings. The all had varying levels and different kinds of meat and veggies. "I figured we could eat family style." said Jake.

"...what does that mean?"

"It means we share everything. The plates will just be on the table and we can eat a bit of each."

"Sounds good." And without further discussion Dirk dived into the buffet in from of him. He was starving and everything just smelled so good.

Everything _tasted_ good too. Dirk ate two omelets by himself (he struggled with the "family style" concept), one with broccoli and bacon and another with butter soaked bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Plus, he picked at a variety of others. God, his cooking was so good.

With full bellies the boys cleaned up and finished the night in Dirk's bed...watching Sailor Moon. Jake enjoyed Sailor Mercury.


	12. CookingBaking

The next day the boys went to Jake's house to prepare food for Roxy's party, which would be the following day. Jake's kitchen was bigger and had more room to work, so the boys agreed that it was the better place to cook.

Jake invited Dirk to help him with the lasagna. However, it quickly became evident that apart from grilling some seafood or chopping vegetables, Dirk had no real cooking skills. Jake relieved Dirk from any cooking responsibility when Dirk set the heat too high for the sauce causing the concoction to boil, splash out, and burn the novice's hand. Dirk was embarrassed to say the least and wouldn't let Jake help him tend to the wound. If it was one thing the blonde could not stand, it was appearing incompetent. Jake was understanding, told his boyfriend where the first aid kit was and pretended like it never happened. Well, for the most part, he didn't mention the incident when Dirk re-appeared with a bandaged hand, but he wouldn't let the boy help any further with the lasagna. Dirk didn't ask to either, he knew when he was in the way. Instead, he opted to just watch Jake. He had no idea how _long_ the process was. Jake steadily worked for about two hours prepping the lasagna, but he seemed happy to do it. Once all of the layers were put into the four large pans, Jake carefully stacked them in the fridge.

"I'll throw the in the oven early tomorrow morning and we can take them over." he said. "Now it's time for the brownies. Why don't you come over here and I'll show you how to make them."

"You sure you want my help?" Dirk raised his bandaged hand to demonstrate the potential consequences of the request. He hated appearing incompetent, but the boy always to use his embarrassment in a self-deprecating manner later. Maybe it's his way of punishing himself for his perceived inadequacies. Jake knew Dirk held high standards for himself and always seemed to despise himself a little after making a mistake. Jake wanted to change that.

"Baking is much easier. It'll be fine, don't worry."

"...Okay." Dirk wasn't about to look like a chicken.

Jake showed Dirk how to properly measure ingredients, add eggs without getting shells in the batter and how to check to make sure all of the ingredients were well mixed into the batter. "Make sure to scrape the bottom and edges of the bowl, sometimes there can be pockets of dry ingredients." Dirk did as he was told and Jake couldn't help but notice his expression. He was concentrating so hard. Jake knew Dirk would be working secretly to get better at cooking from now on. His dearest hated it when he messed up at anything. While he was okay with someone being better than him at something, Dirk always wanted to be moderately adept at everything. Still, It was charming in it's own way, to see Dirk attempt something new like this. Seeing him mess up and need guidance. He wasn't like this on their date, maybe he didn't care about having skill with guns...oh, wait, no, it was probably his hormones distracting him during that outing.

"Now what?"

Jake was snapped out of his musings by the question and moved on to the next step.

"Now we grease the pans." They had made a double batch, so Jake showed Dirk how to grease one pan and then allowed the neophyte to attempt the second pan. Dirk did well. He missed the corners, which Jake pointed out, but it was an easy fix. Jake divvied the batter between the two pans. "This part just takes practice. There's no real science to it, you just eyeball it."

Once Jake had finished he handed Dirk the spatula. Popped the pans in the oven, set the timer, and grabbed a spoon; scraping the remnants of the batter at the bottom of the bowl.

"It has raw egg in it though. Won't you get sick?" Dirk inquired.

"Meh, I've never gotten sick, I don' think there's enough in the little bit of batter left to really hurt you."

Dirk tentatively tried the batter. Jake watched as his sweetheart's eyes got big for just a second and then proceeded to lick the spatula clean. When the blonde finished he had a ring of chocolate batter around his mouth and was wearing a surprisingly goofy grin and had a slight giddy gleam in his eyes. "That was really good. Thanks hun."

Jake stupefied. His boyfriend was simpering, not something Dirk Strider ever did. His southern accent was coming through just a little in his mirth as well, and it was incredibly endearing. However, the thing that stunned Jake the most was Dirk's use of a pet name. Jake had been calling his dear one "love" for almost two weeks, but in that time Dirk had never reciprocated. Not that Jake minded, he figured Dirk was too cool for pet names, but now it seems as if it was just another barrier. A barrier that was now torn down. That notion coupled with Dirk's expression was enchanting and absolutely delightful. It was also a little intoxicating.

Jake chuckled "You have batter all over your face."


	13. Making Out

_Jake chuckled "You have batter all over your face."_

"Oh" Dirk said as he wiped his face with the back of his uninjured hand. He went to wiped said hand on his pants (he was going to shower and change soon anyway), when Jake's hand grabbed his wrist.

"Allow me." Jake licked the back of Dirk's hand. "Mmmm, delicious." A slight blush rose to the blonde's cheeks. "You still missed some right here." Jake leaned in an licked the rest of the chocolate batter from the corner of Dirk's mouth. The blonde's blush deepened. Since, when has Jake English ever been this confident, this forward, this fucking hot? Their lips met in a passionate kiss. Jake placed his hands on Dirk's hips, pressing him against the counter. Dirk, snaked his arm's around his suddenly-very-forward-beau's neck, deepening the kiss.

They didn't stay like this for long. Jake's unpredictability continued as has pushed his hand up Dirk's shirt, tracing the muscles with his finger. Dirk gasped, which Jake used as an opportunity to stick his tongue into his lovely boyfriend's mouth. Earning a moan from said boyfriend. They continued like this until they had to break for air. Both boys were panting, but Jake wasn't about to let things settle down. He pulled Dirk into the living room, pushing him down on the couch. He straddled the blonde's waist, he took a moment to appreciate his flushed, panting, lovely's image.

Dirk, was quite enjoying himself. He never knew Jake could be so dominant. It was hot and he really wished he knew what happened to trigger this. He wanted to be able to replicate this reaction from Jake in the future. He saw his boyfriend looking down at him, predatory in his gaze. And then Jake descended on his cheek. Kissing from his cheek to his jawbone to his neck, Dirk couldn't help but let out a small moan. When did Jake get so god damn good at this? Where did this sudden confidence come from? "Christ, Jake, what brought this on. Not complaining. Opposite actually." Dirk said between panting breaths. Jake stopped and looked into his eyes. Holding their gaze Dirk saw that intensity that he loved in Jake's eyes, only this time it was focused on him and it was intoxicating. He wanted to drown in it. He was so focused on those gorgeous green eyes that he didn't really hear what Jake said.

"ain..."

"Sorry hun, ..what..did you...say?"

He used that pet name again. He's panting and he used that pet name again. More, Jake needed more. "Say my name again. Please, say it again and again. I want to hear you moan my name." Jake didn't wait for a reply and continued his ministrations on his dearest's neck. Finding that one spot that made Dirk moan again, "Jake". Yes, Jake loved this, it's like Dirk was his; a possession that no one else could touch. He marked his neck, the boy was saying his name, Dirk was his.

Holy shit. Jake English is fucking awesome. Dirk was lost in the sensation of his boyfriend's attentions. Jake finished his advancements on Dirk's neck and move back to that wonderful mouth. Dirk was so enraptured by his sweetheart that he submitted instantly. He ran his fingers through the adventurer's hair, so soft. The boys were enjoying themselves caught up in their passion when-

BRRRIIIINGGGG-

The damn oven timer went off. Jake jumped up and went to check on the brownies, much to Dirk's dismay. Dirk was a little surprised that the cook could depart from their situation so easily and without hesitation. The blonde followed hoping to regain his beloved's attentions. Jake pulled the brownies out of the oven and looked down at the pans. "Do you think I should make another batch? I mean these are only 8x8 inch pans. And Roxy is going to have all those chess people."

"I'm sure it will be fine." said Dirk as he wrapped his arms around the object of his affections. Nuzzling the boy's neck.

"No, I really don't think this is enough."

"Remember Jane will probably make a cake, there will be plenty to eat; don't worry about it." Kissing the emerald-eyed boy's neck, desperate to return to their earlier amorous activities. "Besides, weren't we in the middle of something?"

Jake turned to Dirk, the previous predatory nature of his gaze gone. "I promise we'll return to those activities later." he said, giving Dirk a chaste kiss. "But this is the first time the four of us have gotten together in a while, I want everything to go perfectly." The intense determination returning to the brunette's eyes.

Dirk sighed, "Alright, but I'm taking a shower."

"Okay, love. It shouldn't take too long."

Dirk loved Jake's intensity when he was cooking, he really did. However, he was beginning to hate that tunnel vision that went with it. Getting cock-blocked by a pan of brownies was probably the most frustrating thing Dirk had ever had to deal with. It was a little embarrassing too.

Jake made two more pans of brownies. When Dirk returned from his shower he found another batter laden spatula left for him. It helped make up for his boyfriend's earlier neglect, but still wasn't what he was hoping for. Once the brownies were completely done and Jake was satisfied with the amount he had, they resumed their romantic pursuits. While not as passionate as the earlier performance, both boys still enjoyed themselves immensely.

 _ **Notes: LOL, okay so basically after I wrote the "Shopping" chapter I wanted to do a part where Dirk was cock-blocked by Jake's cooking obsession. I just thought it would make for a funny chapter. Also, I tend to think that Jake has issues with his attention span. Like, what he focuses on, he focuses on intensely, but at the same time he is easily distracted.**_


	14. Hanging Out With Friends

_**Notes: Warning: I can't write Roxy very well. I adore her, but I can't write her.**_

Dirk woke up to find the other side of the bed empty, a trace of warmth left. He rubbed his eyes and searched for Jake's alarm clock. 11:00, damn, he slept late. Jake came in through the door, carrying coffee with him. "Morning sleepyhead." Dirk smiled. Jake handed him a cup of coffee, "two sugars right?"

"Right, thanks hun." Jake had finally told Dirk at some point last night that he loved Dirk's pet name for him. Had Dirk known it would've triggered the reaction it did he would have done it sooner.

Jake grinned he really did love hearing that. Jake set his coffee on the night stand, along with a portable timer from the kitchen. He leaned over to Dirk, careful not nudge the blonde's caffeine, and gave him a sweet, chaste, kiss. "I put lasagna in the oven, it has to cook for a while though. We don't have to be at Roxy's until 2:00, the morning is ours, love." After Jake's confession the night before, Dirk had reciprocated with information on his own fondness of Jake's pet name for him.

Dirk set his coffee on the opposite nightstand and turned to reclaim Jake's lips. The boys continued their romantic interlude left over from last night, that is, until the timer rang. Turns out the pans need to be rotated roughly every thirty minutes, so they will cook evenly. The boys continued between the harsh rings, cuddling and kissing tenderly before they decided they needed to start getting ready.

They arrived at Roxy's house at 2:00, Dirk was a surprising stickler for punctuality. When Jake brought up their first date, Dirk confided that he had been nervous and took too long to prepare. The blonde couldn't see it, but there was a twinkle in Jake's eye for him. A twinkle that possessed endearment and love. Knowing that Dirk only confided these things to him was a nice feeling. To add to that feeling Dirk insisted on wearing his shades, he wasn't comfortable without them. Only with Jake was he comfortable enough to take them off.

Roxy opened the door to greet them and showed them to the kitchen. "Damn, you guys are awesome! Look at all that food!" They placed the lasagna and brownies on a table with the rest of the food, which included, a cake (clearly made by Jane), chips, salsa, some sort of pasta salad, and pumpkins...lots of pumpkins. Apparently the chess people love pumpkins...and eat them raw. Jake started chatting with Roxy, but Dirk was distracted. When they made their way through the main part of the house, to get to the kitchen there had been SO many people. There actually really wasn't that much, maybe 20 chess people, plus Jane, Roxy, Jake, and himself. Dirk hadn't been prepared, he had considered the amount of people that would be here, but he didn't take into account everything that went with that. Brushing past people, feeling like his (rather large) personal bubble was compromised, the NOISE, everyone was chatting, there was music and it was just a cacophony that overloaded his ears. He was overwhelmed with everything. He was exhausted and he had only been there a few minutes. Why? Why couldn't he handle it? Everyone else seemed too. Well, Roxy grew up here. Jane grew up in a traditional atmosphere, so this can't be too out of the ordinary. How was Jake tolerating this?

"HELLO! DIRK! EARTH TO DIRK" Roxy was shouting and waving a hand in his face, this was not helping the sensory overload he was feeling.

"What? Sorry, what did you say." He made the extra effort to maintain his cool kid façade. He was not going to appear weak. He didn't need Roxy thinking he was a milquetoast or something. God, that would absolutely ruin his image.

"Hey, mister space case. I was just sayin' hi."

"Oh, hi." Stoic and nonchalant. Stoic and nonchalant.

Roxy just smiled. "Hehe thinking cool kid thoughts were you? C'mon let's have some fun, I'm sure you have great dance moves." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him back towards the chaos. Dirk didn't want this. He felt like he was going to puke, it's too much. Too much noise, too many people, to much contact with to many people. Thankfully, Jake stepped in. "Hey Roxy, where's your bathroom?" God damn it.

"Down the hall and to the right." And Roxy resumed dragging Dirk to the main room.

Dirk had managed to keep his cool. He danced well enough and was able to not look like the total basket-case he felt like. After he danced with Roxy and chatted with Jane he made a beeline for the restroom, he needed a few minutes. He needed to not be around this much noise and this many people for a few minutes. Down the hall and to the left. Was that right? He opened the door and found not the bathroom, but a storage room full of buckets. Good enough, weird, but good enough. He turned on the lights to find Jake sitting on the ground with his knees to his chest. Their eyes met. "Too much for you too?" Dirk nodded.

"Way too much noise for me." Dirk stated as he sat down away from Jake. He had had enough physical contact to with people for one day.

Jake seemed fine with that. "I can handle the noise, it's too bright. No, it's not that it's bright, it's that it is an unnatural brightness. It's glaring and irritating."

Dirk, thanks to his shades, hadn't been affected by the brightness, but he understood where Jake was coming from. Jake's house has windows everywhere and only a few lamps. Roxy's house had lamps and lights everywhere. He could see how Jake would be overwhelmed by it. "We can't stay in here all day though. Didn't you want this to go well? I'm pretty sure, what we're doing would be considered rude."

"Yeah, it's just so much."

"I know. Trust me I get it. Let's give ourselves fifteen minutes, then we have to go out there. But, we will never attend one of Roxy's parties again."

"That sounds okay. Just this once."

"Yeah, just this once. And next time let's just keep as the four of us."

"Agreed"

The boys stayed in that room for the allotted fifteen minutes, not talking, not even looking at each other. They collected themselves and went back out there. Roxy greeted them with "OOO What were you guys doing? Ha ha wonk."She said as she winked at them, causing Jake to blush. Dirk remained stoic. Both boys did their best to participate in the festivities, but left as early as they could without being rude. They said their goodbyes to the girls and as they were leaving Roxy's planet they looked at each other. Both seemed to understand what the other was thinking.

 _That was too much, I need some space. I can't deal right now._

They both returned to their respective homes, alone. Neither was angry or upset, just overdone.

 _ **Notes: This was another prompt I struggled with a little. They will have time with Roxy and Jane again later, but this first time I thought it would be better to show the difference between the boys and the girls living situations. Both of the girls grew up around people, but Jake and Dirk grew up in isolation. I thought it would be natural for them to be overwhelmed and seek a quiet place to collect themselves**_.


	15. Gazing Into Eachothers' Eyes

It had been a few days since Roxy's party. The boys maintained a physical distance, but had a few brief discussions through pesterchum.

TT: I think I caught a cold at that damn party.

GT: Oh no. Are you okay, would you like me to come over?

TT: No, I'm fine. I'll just rest for a bit.

GT: Golly, I feel like a bad boyfriend not coming over to take care of you.

TT: Seriously, there's no reason for you to come over. I'm fine and you coming over would only succeed in getting you sick as well.

GT: Well, promise me you'll rest and drink plenty of fluids.

TT: Will do.

That was a few days ago. Jake had pestered Dirk a few times since their discussion, but received no response. He was starting to get worried. Maybe he could take Dirk some chicken noodle soup and check in on him. At that moment, Jake received a message.

TT: Hey, it's Lil Hal. You need to come over. Dirk is really sick and I'm worried. Sawtooth and Squarewave are nowhere to be found and Dirk can barely stand, much less take care of himself. As a pair of shades I'm no use in this situation. I need you to un-ironically get your ass over here.

The color drained from Jake's face as he read the message. He didn't bother responding, he was out the door as fast as his legs could carry him

Dirk had never wanted to die so much in his life as he did right now. He had been awake for the past 36 hours straight. He was exhausted, but couldn't sleep. He was freezing his ass off despite the numerous blankets covering him. His muscles hurt from the nonstop shivering. His throat felt like 1000 knives were protruding from the inner walls of his esophagus and piercing the opposing sides. He could barley think, he hadn't had much to drink, but he couldn't bring himself to summon the strength to get up and get some water. His stomach felt sensitive even though he hadn't had anything to eat in two days. His current situation was hell and he just wanted it to end.

Someone came bursting through the door. Dirk was curled in a ball on his bed, he couldn't bring himself to lift his head to look at the visitor, he was so tired. He felt a cold hand on his forehead and he flinched away. So cold, why was everything so fucking cold. "Shhhh, it's okay, love. I'm here, it's going to be okay." The voice sounded familiar, but Dirk couldn't place it...he just wanted to sleep.

Jake was terrified for his boyfriend. He had never felt skin so hot. He did his best to soothe Dirk, but he was beyond worried. He needed to act fast. He quickly went to Dirk's bathroom, he had to have some cold medicine. Nyquil, perfect, there is a sleep aid in it and a fever reducer; with any luck it will knock Dirk out and give him some relief. He ran to the kitchen and got a glass of water. Returning to Dirk he set the meds and water on the nightstand and tried his best to prop up his dearest. He went to hand the medication to Dirk, but what he saw broke his heart...Dirk was trembling violently as he reached out for the water. Jake choked back a sob "Open your mouth, love." Dirk didn't fight, highly unlike him to be willing to depend on another, but given his condition it wasn't surprising. Jake placed the pills in his love's mouth and gently tipped the glass of water to wash them down.

It felt like swallowing two large shards of glass. It hurt so fucking much. Tears pricked Dirks eyes. He realized now that Jake was here. Some part of him deep in the recess of his mind was telling Jake to go, he didn't want Jake to catch this, he didn't want Jake to suffer the way he was suffering. However, the thought was only vaguely understood by his conscious mind. His mind couldn't get past the need to sleep and the pain he was experiencing.

Jake left again, but returned moments later with a pot, just in case Dirk needed to throw up, he had also refilled the glass of water. In the few seconds Jake was gone, Dirk had managed to reclaim his former position as a shivering ball. Jake, as gently as he could forced Dirk to sit up again. The boy needed to drink fluids. Dirk feebly fought the liquid going down his throat, but lost; fuck that hurts. He tried to make a noise to signify his discomfort, but nothing came out of his mouth, not even a whine. Jake helped him back down under the covers. Jake stayed in the room with Dirk, he really wasn't comfortable leaving his sweetheart's side. He was too nervous to focus on anything, please let the medicine work.

30 minutes later Dirk was puking his guts out into the bowl. The vomit had no smell or color other than the green from the Nyquil. Dirk was throwing up water. He wasn't even able to keep down water. Jake was panicked now. He went over and rubbed Dirk's back. When the blonde was empty he retreated back into the abyss of blankets; but he was looking into Jake's eyes. There was fear in those glossy orange eyes, fear and misery. "I'll be right back, I'm going to get you some help." Jake whispered.

Jake left the room and called Roxy in near hysterics. Dirk was really sick, like, the sickest he had ever seen somebody. He wasn't able to keep down _water._ He was shaking so terribly too. Roxy, listened and immediately jumped into action. Something _had_ been going around, but it had never been as bad as Jake was making it sound. She would be right over.

She arrived less than 15 minutes later, slightly out of breathe and thermometer in hand, the type that goes in the ear. Jake showed her to Dirk's room, he was in an even tighter ball than before shivering constantly, unable to rest. He wan face devoid of all color, he looked like death. Roxy, paled a little at the sight, but quickly moved to his bedside. She stuck the thermometer in his ear and the blonde flinched. "Stay still." she said. Roxy was going into doctor mode. Her mother left her with a lifetime supply of a variety of medications as well as medical books. Whenever one of the chess people became ill it was Roxy's job to help them. She was well versed in the art of helping people through illness and she would be damned if she wasn't going to see Dirk through this one. After the signaling beep from the medical instrument, Roxy looked the display, "Shit". His fever was 105. Jake looked over her shoulder and saw, he couldn't help but gasp in concern and surprise. He had never even _heard_ of a fever getting that high. Oh my god. ...He can't cry, not now. No, now is not the time for tears. Now is the time to do everything he could to ensure Dirk survived.

Roxy jumped up, ripping three of the blankets of the Prince of Heart. He whined in protest, but it was so faint and weak no one heard it.

"Why are you doing that?" Asked Jake.

"Having this many blankets on him, when his fever is so high will only exacerbate the problem." She said matter-of-factly and took out Extra Strength Tylenol and ibuprofen. She doled 6 pills total (2 Tylenol, 4 ibuprofen) and told Jake to refill the water. When he returned Roxy was propping Dirk up. "Okay Dirk. I need you to take these."

Dirk shook his head, his eyes completely glossed over and unfocused. Jake wasn't sure if he actually understood a thing Roxy just said and didn't want to; or if he was just being stubborn out of habit. "Yes, you are." Roxy muttered. Grabbing the water from Jake she forced Dirk's more open, shoved the pills inside and poured some water down his throat. Jake was about to object to her way of handling things when his boyfriend was half choking on the pills, but as the as the coughing quickly subsided and the pills were successfully administered, he held his tongue. Roxy knew what she was doing, he needs to help her, not question her. As soon as she was sure the pills were down she asked the blonde "Do you want more water?" Dirk shook his head and this time his paradox sister obliged.

The blonde female stood up and looked at Jake, "I'm going home get more supplies just in case. I've never dealt with a fever this high, so I am flying a little blind here. I've done what I think should help, but with Dirk anything is possible and I would feel better with some reference material." Without waiting for a reply Roxy took off, she wanted to grab her stuff and get back asap.

Jake looked at his unwell darling. He didn't care if he got sick, he wanted to lay in bed with Dirk. He crawled into bed and under the blankets. Dirk, now lacking additional coverage and warmth of the blanket Roxy removed, decided that while Jake's skin was cold to the touch, his body warmth was worth it and burrowed his face into his beau's chest. Jake wrapped his arms around his precious and kissed the top of his head, it was damp with sweat, but he didn't care. He desperately wanted to comfort Dirk in anyway possible.

Slowly Dirk's incessant shivering stopped and he fell into a restless sleep. Jake fell asleep not long after.

Roxy arrived about 45 minutes after she left, it took her longer than she would have liked to find the things she needed. She was met with the sight of the two boys cuddling under the blankets. She walked up and felt her brother's forehead, still a little warm, but much better than it was before. She then took her hand and covered Jake's mouth, flicking him on his forhead with her finger. He woke up, slightly startled, but Roxy's hand kept him from making noise. She motioned for him to follow her out, he obeyed.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" She said in a very loud whisper, she didn't want to wake up the patient.

"I just wanted to comfort him any way I could. You didn't see his eyes before you came over...he looked scared." Jake replied timidly.

Roxy softened her expression, "Okay, I understand that, but you could have just gotten yourself sick and you could've made his fever worse. Taking the extra blankets off does nothing if you are going to increase his body temperature with yours. Until this is over I need you to use common sense and do what I say, okay?" Jake nodded.

"Okay, you cook like Janey, right? I need you to make some chicken broth. I mean, he threw up water. I want to keep anything we give him really light." Jake nodded and went to gather supplies.

Dirk woke up about 18 hours later, he was still kind of tired, but he felt much better. Well, health wise. quite frankly he felt gross. Like he was covered with a week's worth of sweat. He looked to see Jake asleep on the floor and Roxy slumped over a book on his desk...when did they get here? He considered tiptoeing past them to go take a shower..he felt REALLY disgusting, but before he could Jake stirred below him. Green eyes met orange eyes, locked in a sort of transfixing gaze. The orange eyes were no longer glossy, no longer did fear, misery, or pain reside in them; however the green ones contained a look of worry, anxiety, and a hint of sorrow. It was only when the blonde boy spoke that these traits left the emerald orbs. "What happened?"

Jake didn't respond, relief flooded him. His love was okay, he was speaking and coherent and vocal. An emotional smile graced the boy's lips and he stood and practically tackled the invalid, peppering him with kisses and exclamations "Thank god. You're okay. Thank god" When he finally pulled away the sick boy could see tears threatening to break free from his dearest's eyes. Dirk just looked at him, what the hell happened. He remembered not feeling well, he remembered being in pain, wanting it to end, but he didn't remember many of the details. Everything is kind of a vague blur. While Dirk was lost in his thought Jake encircled his arms around his love once more, unwilling to let go for several minutes. Dirk didn't mind, he was a little cold anyway and was Jake nice and warm. He let his head drift downward and settle on Jake's shoulder, his forehead brushed gently against the other's neck. Jake jumped a little at this immediately pulled away cupping Dirk's face with his hands, worry lightly tinged his green eyes once more. Jake moved off the bed and lightly moved Roxy's shoulder to wake her. She looked up groggily at him. "The patient's awake, but his fever is coming back."

Roxy was up, next to Dirk, thermometer in her hand, in less than a second. "Hey! What? Stop." Dirk fought, because that's his nature when people are this close to him.

"Shush you big baby, I'm just taking your temp." Roxy said with a smile. "102" She gave a small sigh of relief, it was higher than she wanted, but manageable. She took out the fever reducers again and gave Dirk the maximum amount. "Take these, no complaining." Dirk eyed her grudgingly, but did as he was told. "You hungry?" she inquired.

"A little."

"I'll get you some broth." Jake hurried out of the room. Normally Dirk would have asked for something more substantial, but his stomach was still feeling a little sensitive.

Jake returned with a bowl of broth, a bottle of orange soda, and a glass of water. "I wasn't sure which you'd prefer, so I brought both." Dirk's ability to choose was circumvented by his sister though. "No soda, only water."

"Come on Roxy!" Dirk wanted his soda.

"No" and with that Roxy left the room taking the bottle of soda with her. Jake stayed and lovingly watched Dirk eat, he had an appetite, he was drinking the water without wincing...he was doing better. Roxy returned shortly afterwards with actual oranges and handed one to Dirk. "You can have this."

Dirk took it, peeled in and devoured the orange in less than five minutes. It tasted ridiculously good, swallowing the juice from the orange was like swallowing life itself. Like it was this miracle fruit that made him feel better the minute he tasted it. "...Can I have another one of those?"

Roxy wordlessly handed him another. Jake was a little surprised at how Dirk was basically attacking the oranges, was he that hungry? "His body is demanding vitamin C right now. The oranges probably taste better than they normally do because his body is desperate for the vitamins." she whispered to Jake. Oh, that makes sense.

After Dirk finished he insisted on being able to take a shower. His caretakers allowed him, but Jake stayed near the door, just in case Dirk collapsed; while Roxy changed the bedding. After his shower Dirk laid back down, feeling clean and full, he fell back asleep for another 3 hours or so. As soon as he was awake Roxy was on him, taking his temperature again. "100, good, you're on the mend." She said with a self satisfied smirk. Jake brought him some more broth and oranges, which Dirk devoured with gusto. He was feeling worlds better.

"Okay guys, I'm going to head home. Jake you have the instructions I gave you, if his temperature goes up again let me know, I'll be right over." She handed him a thermometer and made her way to the door. She would have liked to stay, but the flu was going around and she needed to make sure no one needed her at home.

"Thanks Roxy!" Both boys called at the same time. She giggled, they were fucking adorable.

Jake doted on Dirk like a mother hen for the next few days, not letting him exert too much energy, fixing meals, and taking care of Dirk in general. For Dirk's part, well, he mostly slept. With his fever down he spent the next few days in and out of consciousness; after getting sick like that he needed some down time to recover. When he was able to stay awake for the entire day again Jake seemed to calm down.

The boys were cuddling in bed, limbs intertwined and warmth all around them. Dirk hadn't had a fever for a few days and seemed well again. Jake had been exponentially more affectionate, at that moment he was leaving kisses on every inch of Dirk's face. Dirk could only smile tenderly at his boyfriend's ministrations. Jake had something he needed to say though.

"Dirk." he pulled away and sat up. Dirk had a slightly alarmed look at the sudden departure from his embrace, but wasn't able to get a word in before Jake spoke again.

"I...I don't want something like this to ever happen again, you getting sick and no one was around to help. I mean, I...I don't think I could leave your side after what's happened. What would you think about moving into my place? There's plenty of room, of course you can bring over anything you want. There are a few empty rooms, so you can have your own if you want. I just.." Tears were welling in Jake's eyes "I don't want to ever see you in that state again. If-if I had been here when you first started getting sick, it might not have gotten as bad as it did. I thought you were going to die. I-I thought...I thought.." Jake was in tears now. His emotions filling him up and overflowing, his love filling up and overflowing.

Dirk couldn't stand to see Jake this sad, he pulled the other boy close. "Okay. Yeah. I would love to move into your place Jake. I'm sorry, I'm sorry you had to deal with that. It's my fault, I should have recognized when things were going beyond my control. I'm the one whose at fault, not you Jake."

They looked into each others' eyes seeing the love, the tenderness, the care. "And Jake..." Dirk kissed him lovingly "I love you." Jake's eye widened, they had confessed their feelings to each other before, but they hadn't used the word "love" yet. "I love you too." With that the night ended in tender kisses, soft caresses, and a connection so deep that they felt like they had left their individual selves and became two parts of a whole.

 _ **Notes: Okay, the entire description of the 105 degree fever is from personal experience. When I was about 12-13 I had the flu and my fever spiraled out of control, went to the hospital and the nurse did basically what Roxy did. She gave me a maximum amount of fever reducers and made me take off 2 of the 3 coats I was wearing. It took another hour or so, but my fever finally went down. Pretty much everything that Dirk experienced was what I could remember from my episode with a fever that high.**_


	16. Wearing Kigurumis

The next day Dirk was going through his things. He certainly couldn't take everything he owned over to Jake's house, he needed to figure out what he could leave behind. Jake insisted he bring his cosplay and anime collections, so that was going. He needed to take his robotics equipment with him, he just had to. Plus, he felt like he kind of owed Lil Hal now, it was Hal that messaged Jake. He felt a bit of guilt not repaying Hal for that. Clothes, well, that's a given. Hmm...what else.

"Hey, what are these?" Jake was helping Dirk pack...oh, he forgot about those.

"Kigurumis" answered Dirk. There was a time when he lived in those things...okay that was six months ago. They were just so comfortable. He had only had two, and of course they were Pokémon.

"Kitty-whatties?" Jake inquired again. A slight look of befuddlement on his face.

"Kigurumis, they're full body adult pajamas that look like animals."

"Is this another, what was it...moe?"

"No, they are just REALLY comfortable."

"Really?"

"Really"

A few seconds passed by and Jake couldn't contain his curiosity.

"Can we put them on? Since their supposed so comfortable I mean." Okay he wasn't doing a good job of covering up his interest in the garments. It was another thing that Dirk liked, but he had never heard of. Plus, the fabric did feel really soft.

Dirk was a little surprised, but didn't see the harm. He could still get work done in them and they would be cozier than pants and a t-shirt. Plus, it was technically winter, although he wasn't sure seasons counted for anything anymore. "Yeah, sure."

Dirk walked up taking the orange one and changing into it; leaving Jake with the yellow onesie. The boys kept their backs to each other, partially to hide the reveal until the end, partially for modesty's sake, and mostly because they were insecure of the other one seeing them disrobe.

When they were done changing they turn around to face each other; both broke into wide smiles. Dirk was dressed in a Charmander kigurumi, while Jake had donned a Pikachu one. They were a little over-sized, however Dirk was right, they were really comfy. Jake couldn't help but find Dirk absolutely adorable, the orange in the onesie made his eyes stand out even more than usual. Seeing his boyfriend's body, one of moderately muscular build, half drowned in the oversized garment was about the cutest thing Jake had ever seen.

Jake looked nearly twice as adorable as Dirk did. Given that the Pikachu kigurumi was Dirk's and the blonde was taller, Jake looked even smaller with the abundance of fabric around him. Dirk also had to admit the boy doesn't look bad in yellow. Still, he didn't have time to dwell to much on that thought as he was trying not to squeal like a fangirl at how absolutely precious Jake looked.

The boys fell into a fit of loving giggles, hugging each other. Both expressing how they viewed the other. Unlike with the cat ears, there was no sexual undertone to their sharing the love of these pajamas. Just goofy, slightly nerdy (although Dirk would deny it) mirth. They ended up sitting on the floor for just a bit, telling each other back and forth how cute the other looked.

Then the door, which up until that point had been closed opened.

"OH MY GAWD!" Roxy was there, her expression a little dumbstruck at the sight, but almost immediately shifted to a devious grin. She whipped out her phone taking several pictures. Both boys now very red with embarrassment.

"You guys are cute, but damn! I didn't think you two were this kinky!" She laughed.

"It's not like that, DON'T SEND THAT TO JANE!" Dirk tried to stop Roxy, but wasn't fast enough in his current attire. He nearly tripped over his own feet. Jake stayed in place, desperately wishing for the floor to swallow him whole.

"What are you even doing here?" asked Dirk, trying to regain as much composure as he could in the situation.

"It's been a few days, I just wanted to make sure you had fully healed, plus I needed my thermometer back. Had I known you guys were doing kinky sex things I would have called."

"It's not a kinky sex thing!" exclaimed the two boys. Roxy giggled while the two desperately tried shield themselves from embarrassment.


	17. Eating Ice Cream

After he boys were finally able to shoo Roxy out of the apartment they went about packing all of Dirk's stuff. They were able to gather everything and it was all ready for transport. It was late though, they boys decided to wait one more night before officially moving the stuff to _their_ place. Dirk couldn't believe they were going to be living together. He a Jake had worked out an agreement. They would share a room, but Dirk would use one of the spare bedrooms as his robotics lab. That way he could work on his projects as long as he wanted without disturbing Jake, but they would still share a bed. Their relationship had yet to reach carnal levels. Sure they had made out and kissed and cuddled. Some of their make-out sessions got pretty heated, but neither had taken it any further than that. Dirk was still afraid. Even though Jake had invited him to live at the adventurer's place, he was still fearful of making the first move when it came to increasing their physical intimacy. Despite everything that Jake had told him, he was still terrified that if he pushed Jake, hell, even just presented the option to Jake, that Jake would recoil away from him. He wanted things to move forward, but every time he thought about making a move a thousand different scenarios went through his head on how Jake would react. All it took was one plausible scenario in which Jake rejected him that Dirk stopped himself. Maybe living in close quarters might make him less hesitant.

Dirk's thoughts were interrupted by his boyfriend. "Hey, I brought you some ice cream." While Dirk was sick, Jake had finally figured out how to work the alchemiter. He learned how to make all sorts of things including sea salt ice cream. Apparently, both boys were huge fans of the Kingdom Hearts series.

"Thanks."

They sat there in a comfortable silence. Eating the soft ice cream bar that tasted of vanilla, blueberry, and a small bite of saltyness that increased the sweetness and the potency of the other flavors.

After they were finished Jake initiated a round of chaste kisses. Jake felt similar to Dirk, in that, he wanted to move forward in their relationship, increase their expressions of sexuality and physical love. However, he also suffered from insecurity. He was painfully inexperienced with any expression of physical intimacy other than what he had exhibited so far, and even the making-out was something he had taken a chance on because his hormones got the better of him. It turned out well that time, but what if it didn't the next time? What if he disappointed Dirk? He knew that Dirk didn't have much experience either, but the blonde seemed to have a natural knack for amorous activities. Or maybe he had built a robot to practice on? Actually, no don't think about it, it's not that funny a picture, no it's not. Okay, he is going to laugh and then Dirk is going to ask why and he is going to be in a bind. Keeping his voice calm "I'll be right back, love. I'm going to grab another ice cream, you want one?"

"Nah, I'm good."

With that Jake retreated into the house while Dirk was left with his thoughts and ever-too-active mind once more. Maybe there was a way to test the waters indirectly? Was there a way he could comfortably and naturally bring this up in conversation? He didn't want Jake to feel pressured, but he wanted some idea of where the boundaries were without making things awkward.

And Jake was back...with a longer, thinner, popsicle. Dirk was not thinking those thoughts..no he wasn't.

Jake started eating the treat, placing it in his mouth, not noticing his love's reaction.

Dirk WAS NOT that sexually frustrated to be thinking the things he's thinking, nope. Okay, yes he was and this was going to get very weird, very fast, if he couldn't control himself.

Jake for his part, he was oblivious to Dirk's inner turmoil at that moment, absentmindedly sucking on the frozen treat.

He needed to look away, Dirk needed to not watch Jake eat that popsicle.

 _*CRUNCH*_

Jake bit off the end of the cold snack, boy that's cold. He heard Dirk let out what sounded like a wheeze. He looked over and Dirk had his mouth covered and a blush on his cheeks.

"You okay, love?"

"Yeah, Yeah I'm fine. I'm okay." Jake wondered what was with Dirk, he was acting unusual. His face was pretty red.

"Are you getting a fever again?" Jake place a hand against Dirk's forehead (which was NOT helping Dirk at that moment). ...Great now his life is a shoujo anime, that's great. The raven-haired boy's face now showed nothing but concern for his darling, which made Dirk feel a little guilty. Damn overactive teenage hormones.

"You don't feel warm. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, promise."

Jake still wasn't completely satisfied. "Let's go to bed. I would feel better if you got some extra rest." With that Jake finished his ice cream and the boys turned in for the night. Dirk was in for a difficult night's sleep, despite Jake's intentions.

 _ **Notes:**_

 _ **Yeah, ever since I saw Ikimaru's popsicle picture I knew I wanted it included in the ice cream section.**_


	18. Morning Routines

Jake yawned awake. It was roughly 8:30, he always seemed to wake up around that time. Not sure why. However, he always woke up feeling well rested. He looked over at the body next to him. The blonde sleeping peacefully, so serene. His face completely relaxed, no intense thinking or insecurities or need to shield himself in some way. Dirk had opened up a lot to Jake in the short time they had been together, but even with Jake's growing adeptness at reading Dirk's stoic face, it often felt like he was still holding himself back. Like if he truly let himself be seen he would crumple, lose the support of the stolid projection and collapse in on himself. This is what Jake sensed anyway. Not at first, but living with someone, you start to notice these things. The way he looks like he might express a moment of joy, but brings it in enough so that happiness can be seen, but not truly released from his person. Like letting that mirth be released and felt by another offered a moment a weakness that was too much for him to bear. Dirk has so many barriers, he's like a prince in an ivory tower. You have to break down a wall to make a door, but the trials don't end there; every floor has a few obstacles and there are 100 floors or more. If you try to rush you only get tired frustrated; however, if you follow a steady pace, making slow but steady headway, sometimes the prince will encourage you through the loudspeakers. He set the obstacles up and he's afraid to take them down. He wants to see you, but he can bring himself to show you, that puts him in a vulnerable position. He must always protect himself. Except when he's sleeping. In the throws of his dreams the traps are disengaged, the barricades crumple for just a bit. He has no pretense to preserve, no conscious thought of how things could be used against him. It is this reason why Jake spends just a few minutes every morning admiring his dear one. It is these evanescent moments that he feels he can completely see Dirk as Dirk and not a projection.

As much as he'd love to, he can't spend all morning like this. Jake leans over, as he does every morning, to kiss his lovely awake. First the forehead, then the cheek, nose, lips. Dirk starts to wake up, the barriers still not quite up, and smiles at Jake. A smile that seems to exude all the charm and love in Dirk. A smile that could brighten the darkest of days; a smile so illuminating that could act like the north star to a lost wanderer. It's a smile that Jake could melt in...and there it goes. It's subtle. Dirk is still smiling, brightly, wonderfully, but he pulled back, he reeled it in. Jake was determined, one day Dirk won't feel that need to hide his happiness, at least, not around Jake. Jake leaned back down and the boys met in a lazy kiss. Dirk pulled Jake in and they stayed in a languid intimate cuddle. Not one of passion, but love and familiarity and comfort. It had quickly been adapted into their morning routine. Just a few minutes to remind themselves that this was real, and they were together. Plus, it was just a nice way to start the day.

Dirk was the first to move, his hair un-styled and messy. Jake actually like Dirk's bedhead, the orange eyed boy was one of those people that was gorgeous no matter what he did. He could probably dye his hair bright, neon pink and still be a knock-out. The prince didn't say what he was going to do, not that Jake needed to be told anyway. Dirk was pretty set in his routine. Dirk went to get coffee and brought back a cup for each of them. As they sipped they discussed their plans for the day. Well, Dirk gave a detailed idea of what he plans to do for the day which includes drawing up blue prints for Hal's new robot body, yoga (Dirk is surprisingly limber), studying trigonometry (because he can), brushing up on string theory and the theory of relativity (because he can), drawing for his own enjoyment, and if he has time maybe compose a few raps. Jake was more open with his schedule, he thought of going out for a bit, not to LOTAK (Dirk made him promise not to go there by himself), but maybe explore LOMAX a bit more, also maybe watch a few of the animes that Dirk recommended. He had been wondering what the big deal was about FLCL. And then cook dinner. The boys had come up with a routine to spend half the day on their own and half the day together. This worked well for them. They both cherished their relationship, but also valued their solitude. They both needed time on their own to fully recharge, by the time they came back together around 5:00 in the evening, they had the rest of the night to spend together and because they had taken time to themselves they were more receptive to each other. It was a nice system.

Jake went to cook breakfast for himself, Dirk wouldn't eat. He never ate in the morning, something about a sensitive stomach. Jake always made a point of preparing a snack for him and leaving it in the fridge though. Usually around 1:00 Dirk would get hungry, or realize that his blood sugar was low. Today his snack is some candied orange peels, walnuts, and gouda cheese all prepped on a plate with some plastic wrap to protect it. The blonde was the type to grab something and not pay attention to what it is, his goal was energy, not nutrition. One time Jake came home to find Dirk eating a donut and drinking red bull. He warned Dirk to take care of himself better, but Dirk had a hard time investing time to prepare a proper snack; so Jake took care of it for him. Just a little something to hold him over until dinner. Now for his breakfast.

Dirk was getting dressed. He liked getting dressed soon after he wakes up, just feels like he can be more productive that way. Hmm...he had told Jake what he planned on doing for the day, but he left out that he was going to fix that KitchenAid mixer his grandmother left him. The boy loved that thing, but it hasn't worked since before he and Jake officially met. While Jake was responsible for the cooking, Dirk was responsible for the maintenance of their appliances. He hoped it would bring Jake joy when he got home today. Should be a nice surprise. Okay, clothes, clothes, ah, since he would be working with a variety of cloth staining materials, oil, polisher, charcoal, he opted for his well stained, baggy orange cargo shorts and matching stained shirt. No point in ruining his favorite clothes. Time to style his hair and brush his teeth, then he'll be ready for his day.

Jake had finished his breakfast, time to get ready and head out. Of course, Dirk was still in the bathroom, the guy took forever on his hair. Jake got dressed fairly quickly, choosing his favorite short shorts and a tank top, it's hot out today. Returning to the bathroom door, still closed, how long is he going to take? This happens every once in a while, Dirk can't get his hair to look how he wants. He'll spend hours in there if he isn't interrupted. Jake doesn't have all day though; so he knocks on the door. "How much longer are you going to me, love?"

"I'm still trying to fix my hair." Well, obviously, it the only thing that would keep Dirk in the bathroom this long. "It looks terrible! It's the ugliest thing in paradox space!" Jake highly doubted that.

"Come on out, it can't be that bad."

Dirk opened the door and revealed his less than ideal hair. "Don't laugh."

Jake never laughed when Dirk was having a bad hair day, normally it just looked a bit disheveled. He never really understood the big deal of it. Today though, today it was different. Dirk always looked good, even when his hair was bedraggled it looked good. This though, Dirk looked gorgeous, how could this boy think that this wasn't attractive? His hair looked much the same as it normally did spike wise, however, it lacked it's defiance of gravity. I hung down giving a slight framing of his face that was just wonderful. "Actually, I think it's lovely."

"Really?" Dirk's cheeks flushed slightly as Jake closed the already small gap between them even more; running his fingers through the blonde's hair.

"Yeah, I like it a lot." Jake leaned in kissing his sweetheart, a passionate kiss full of adoration. It was enough for to make insecurities to leave Dirk's mind as he was swept up in the feeling of his beau's lips against his own. Dirk wasn't a fool though. He did not doubt that Jake liked the way he looked at that moment, he did not question the sincerity of the brunette's words. Jake wasn't one to lie, Dirk wasn't even sure he could lie. The boy was frank and honest to a fault, not that Dirk minded. However, it did not go beyond Dirk's notice that Jake was rotating their position, subtly, carefully, deliberately. And when they broke their kiss Jake was now in the bathroom doorway. He pulled away and smiled; then quickly shut the door. Dirk gave a small laugh; he couldn't be annoyed, he knew it was coming. Besides, with how good Jake just made him feel he deserved his turn in the bathroom.

And so ended their morning together. They went about their afternoons alone. Dirk enjoyed his snack and greeted Jake with a chaste kiss as a thank you, when the adventurer got home. When Jake discovered his grandmother's mixer repaired he could not hide the few tears of joy that welled up in his eyes. He was truly touched.

Later, after dinner they relaxed, simply enjoying each others' company. The simple act of being near one another, tasks already accomplished for the day and the hormones coursing through both of them; caused the relaxing evening to heat up. Resulting in them revisiting their activities from this morning.

 _ **Notes: Another chapter with inspiration from an ikimaru picture post/82693960082/thesoundofhomestuck-jake-dirk-comic-by**_

 _ **Also: Dirk and Jake had been living together roughly a month during this chapter.**_


	19. Spooning

Dirk woke up...okay not quite. He seemed to be teetering on the edge of asleep and awake. His mind was a little foggy and he had only a cursory awareness of his surroundings. His thoughts were like muffled echoes. They were there in the back of his mind, repeating over and over, but he couldn't quite make sense of them. Something about needing to help? Help who? He wanted to go back to sleep, but there was this insistent itch in his mind that he needed to do something. That itch persisted until he was firmly planted in the world of living and the reality experienced only with the conscious mind. Someone was sobbing.

Jake sometimes cries in his sleep. It wasn't very often, but every once in a while he would have nightmares that were too much for him and would leak out into the physical world. Dirk gently rubbed his back, trying to coax him out of the nightmare without completely waking him. He wanted Jake to be free from the terror he was experiencing without forcing him to wake up. He found that light reassuring touches were helpful. Jake must have been pretty worked up though. For instead of retreating into pleasant fantasies he joined Dirk in the physical manifestation of conscious reality. "What?" Jake's back was facing Dirk, but the blonde could tell he was wiping away his tears. He knew the best way to comfort Jake. He wrapped an arm around his raven-haired precious and pulled him into a spooning position.

"Bad dream, hun?"

"Yeah."

"Want to talk about it?"

"...I don't know."

"You can tell me hun. It's okay." Dirk held Jake a little tighter, kissing his shoulder, his vocal reassurances as gentle as a feather.

Jake absentmindedly caressed the arm that held him. It felt grounding, like Dirk would keep him from floating away, keeping him from going back to the illusionary reality that he came from. "It started with me as a little boy. Baking with grandma. Pretty typical, nothing special of note, until the oven exploded. Grandma was bleeding, she pushed me out of the house with what strength she could...but she went back for some reason. There was another explosion and I knew she was dead. Then it shifted, to me holding your head, when we were trying to enter the medium. It didn't work though, I kissed your head and it didn't work." Jake paused here, Dirk could tell he was trying not to cry again.

"It's okay, hun. I'm here, it's okay. " Dirk kissed his shoulder again, the back of his head, the back of his neck. Anything to reassure Jake, to comfort him.

Jake was able to regain control and continued. "I was cradling your head, begging you to come back. Then I was walking through Derse, there was wreckage everywhere. And...that's when I saw it. Your and Jane's and Roxy's bodies were all gathered in one place, there was blood everywhere. You all had bullet wounds. And I looked down, and my gun had blood all over it. It didn't make sense that there would be blood, but somehow I knew that the blood was yours." Jake was crying again.

This wasn't the first time Jake had these sorts of dreams. He never said it out loud, but from the way Jake described his dreams, he seemed to have a fear of being responsible for the death of the other three alphas; Dirk in particular. This is how Dirk interpreted anyway. He was pretty sure that this was an actual fear that Jake had, although he never talked about it. This wasn't the time to confront these issues though. Instead Dirk continued to pepper his dearest with kisses, only stopping to whisper sweet nothings in his ear. He held Jake tight, he wanted Jake to know that they were here, not dead, there is no reason to fear their deaths at this moment. There is nothing that can get them at this moment.

It took a little time and reassurance, but Jake calmed down. As he drifted off to sleep, Dirk was still there, holding him tight, kissing his head. Everything was alright.

 _ **Notes:**_

 _ **XxShadowBabyxX review a while back and I never thanked them. So here it is now: THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! Seriously, it means a lot.**_


	20. On One of Their Birthdays

Jake awakes to find a cold empty space next to him. Where was Dirk? He should probably get up and look for him, it's unusual for him to be up already. He looked over at his alarm clock 10:30...how the hell did it get to be so late? He never sleeps in this late. Yet, he continues to lay there, he needs to get up, he needs to be productive. He really just wants to stay in bed though, it's so comfy. Wait, Dirk, yeah...why hasn't he shown up yet. It's been too long if he was just going to the bathroom, what if he's sick and puking his guts out? Okay, now that's enough to motivate Jake out of bed.

Just as Jake sits up though, Dirk enters the room. He is wearing only pajama pants, no shirt, and he's carrying a tray of food. "Morning sleepyhead. Happy Birthday!" The blonde sets the tray across the birthday boy's lap. The food looks delicious. It's Jakes favorite; french toast with blueberries and powdered sugar, with syrup on the side. Jake beamed at his boyfriend.

"My, this looks positively delectable, love. Breakfast in bed too, I believe you are spoiling me. Thank you." Dirk must have been practicing his cooking skills while Jake was out adventuring these past few weeks; this food looks phenomenal. He took a bite, it's delicious too. And on top of the delightful food, he had an luscious view too. Damn, Dirk looked hot without a shirt on.

Dirk smiled that rare, unguarded smile that Jake loved; leaned down and gave Jake a loving kiss. "I'm glad you like it." The prince moved over to his side of the bed and took out a package and a DVD. "I figured while you eat, we could watch The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." The movie itself wasn't great, but then again, Jake had poor taste in movies. It was a movie centering around adventure, so Jake would probably like it regardless, at least that's what Dirk hoped. "Before that though; here's your first birthday present."

Jake missed the odd wording in Dirk's sentence; eagerly opening up the gift to find a lovely 1890s style suit, only it had been modified. There were gadgets attached to it and unlike traditional suits it was made of varying materials.

"It called steampunk. It takes old Victorian era clothes and reimagines them with retro-futuristic gadgets. I made all of the technology look like brass and copper to keep the aesthetic. It has a GPS, a vitals monitor, and a heating element should you be stuck out in the cold or not return to the house before nightfall. The hat has night-vision goggles and was reinforced so it acts as a helmet as well." Dirk really hoped Jake liked his gift; he was being awfully quiet.

Jake was so in love with his gift he was speechless. This was probably the coolest thing anyone had ever gotten him. Now he could look like a true gentlemen adventurer. And even though it looked like a suit, Dirk had modified the pants with zippers so Jake could wear shorts if he wanted to. He was absolutely infatuated with the raiment. He notice Dirk looking at him and stared at his love for a moment.

Oh no, he didn't like it did he. He's staring at Dirk like he doesn't know what to say, probably because it was a stupid idea. Dirk should have gotten him new guns or something, not something so ridiculous as this. He should have-

Dirk's thoughts were cut off by his boyfriend's lips crashing against his. Jake's kiss was so enthusiastic that he almost upset the tray that straddled his lap; not that either boy cared at that moment. When they pulled apart, Jake had a huge grin across his face. "Thanks love, this is amazing. I don't even know what to say."

A smile of tenderness and relief broke across the blonde's face. "I'm so happy to hear that Jake." He leaned in giving a chaste kiss to his darling. Never had he felt such pride and warmth fill his chest. "Now eat up, I'll put in the movie."

Of course, Jake loved the movie. This was probably the best birthday he had ever had and he told Dirk so.

"Well it's not over yet. Roxy is hosting a party for you."

Jake froze at that. A party? The last one didn't go so well. His boyfriend, clearly in tune with his thoughts, clarified.

"It will only be the four of us. Roxy apparently has some activity planned, she wouldn't tell me what it is though. We still have a couple of hours before we have to be over there; is there anything you'd like to do before then?"

A smirk played across Jake's lips; it's not very often that his countenance turns from goofy to devious; but when it does Dirk knows the boy has an idea in his head that he plans to enact immediately. Jake took the tray, now empty of everything but dishes, and set it on the floor. Returning to his dearest with fervent passion. They had some time before they had to leave; they could at least have some fun.

 _ **Notes: Funny, I didn't plan to do the birthday chapter on my birthday; it just ended up that way. Well, hope you guys enjoyed it.**_

 _ **XxShadowBabyxX: Ahh! Thank you so much! I can't really let it bother me when people don't review; I rarely review myself even if I really like the work. So, I can't get upset when the same happens to me. Still, it's nice when people do review and it's given me some confidence in my writing ability. So, thank you very much!**_


	21. In Battle Side-By-Side

Dirk ducked behind a rock for coverage; the sound of bullets firing, echoing through the air. Jake is next to him; they steal a quick kiss before separating. Maybe they can corner those two by splitting up and coming from different angles. Dirk peaks over the edge; quick to duck back down. He saw her back, but he's not about to take _her_ on. Leave her to Jake; he'll take the less skilled of the two. There she is; she is attempting to hide, but she sucks at it. Dirk takes aim and fires.

"I'm out." calls Jane.

Roxy is a fucking genius. Laser tag was the perfect idea for Jake's birthday. She must have spent weeks alchemizing these guns and targets to get them just right. Dirk had never used laser guns that sound like actual guns. Well, he had never used a laser gun before; but from what he had seen in tv shows and movies the never sounded like actual guns. They had decided to play teams; boys versus girls. Everyone agreed it was fair since Roxy and Jake are the most skilled with firearms. Jane barely knew how to hold a gun and Dirk; well let's just say he never practiced much after his date with Jake. He was competent enough that he could fire the thing if he stayed still...and if his target stayed still. A far cry from the other two. He just needed to stay out of sight.

"No! Janey!" Some how...and Dirk didn't know how, but Roxy managed to find him in that exact moment. She is a good shot; he didn't stand a chance. "Sorry Dirk." she said with a grin.

And, he's out. "Alright, I'm going to go die over there in the shade." Jane had moved there too.

"Don't worry, love. I will avenge your death!" called Jake from somewhere in the distance. Dirk stifled a laugh; he is such a dork. A loveable, adorable, dork.

For a while the two just watched the duo try to out stealth each other. The were managing to keep each other on their toes; but not actually get any hits in. Several close calls, but even after another fifteen minutes they were still at a stalemate. Neither was willing to give up though.

"You and Jake seemed to have gotten a lot closer." Jane; apparently tired of watching (not that Dirk could blame her; nothing is going on) and started up a conversation.

"Yeah...we have." Okay, he isn't really aren't the best person to come to for idle chitchat. And on top of that he doesn't really like discussing his relationship with others. Not even in an idle way. It just feels invasive.

"You don't need to feel awkward. Any feelings I had for Jake left when I found out he was technically my brother."

"I don't feel awkward; it's just not something I typically discuss."

Jane just nods. "Well, if you ever need to discuss something; I'm here...but I should tell you. My loyalty lies more with Jake. If you ever hurt him; I will cut it off and feed it to you."

What...the...fuck did she just say? Did Jane, sweet little Jane just threaten to castrate him? Thank god he has his shades on; this is one of the very few times in the blonde's life someone has managed to catch him this off guard. He looks at her from out of the corner of his eye. She's smirking. Okay, don't cross Jane; got it. Suppressing the shock in his voice he says "Duly noted." And the two just sit there in silence.

Ah, it appears the stalemate has been resolved. Dirk watches as Jake is able to take Roxy by surprise. At least, that's what Jake thinks. Dirk can tell just from watching them that Roxy let the birthday boy win. Actually this is probably apparent to Jane as well. Seriously, there is no way Jake would have had enough time to say his finishing line; which apparently was "I'm Jake English, you killed my boyfriend. Prepare to die." and still shoot Roxy without her letting him win.

...For some reason Jake's line is giving Dirk a sense of deja vu. Not like he heard it before; but like he said something similar before. To a woman. The word wasn't kill though..it was something else with a K. God this would be bugging him all night. Still, Dirk couldn't help but smile inwardly at the dramatic line. It was sweet in it's own way.

Roxy of course put on a big show. "AH! I am slain!" She screamed as she lay there writhing on the ground making gurgling noises. She couldn't keep up the act though; too much giggling. "All right English! Let's go again; only this time battle royal style! No covering for Dirk."

"Deal!" Jake was pretty hyped up.

Everyone got into position. Dirk had a guess of where Jake was. He wasn't a good shot; but he could stay out of sight well if he didn't try to pick anyone off. He made is way to the general vicinity where Jake was.

He came face to face with Jake, the boy raised his laser gun; but hesitated. Even with a fake gun; he couldn't shoot Dirk. Dirk took advantage of this. Leaning in from behind their cover kissing Jake. The blonde had a plan; but it required a little bit of help from the adventurer. Jake was easily distracted by the kiss; something about the contact couple with the tension of the game; it was intoxicating. Dirk moved from his boyfriend's mouth down to that one spot on his neck that could get Jake to moan his name.

"Dirk" it worked, Dirk gave a quiet snicker.

"If you don't keep it down they'll find us." Dirk whispered with a husky voice. Of course that is exactly what he wanted. He didn't like talking about his relationship with others; but sometimes he would happily put it on display to achieve and end. This end being winning the game. Jake tried, but failed to stifled his moans.

Ah, there's Roxy. "Look alive English." Jake; snapped into focus from the use of his last name. He could see over Dirk's shoulder; Jane trying desperately to aim the gun. Dirk lifted his gun; Jake did the same with his. And the landed shots on both the girls. The boys pulled away from each other. Dirk with a triumphant smirk; Jake with a bashful smile; a little embarrassed to be caught in the throws of such activities.

"It's not over yet." said Roxy. "This is battle royal; there can only be one winner."

"No problem." Said Dirk. He took his gun; pointed to the target on his chest and fired. "I'm out, Jake wins."

They all smiled; but Jake's smile was tinged with a shocked melancholy. It was soon replaced with his signature goofy grin though.

They continued to play; even past nightfall. It was 9:30 before they finally called it quits. As the boys were walking home. Jake reached out and grabbed Dirks hand. "Love. Don't ever shoot or decapitate yourself or do anything that would harm your person; even in jest. Please."

Dirk had suspected this coming. He hadn't meant upset Jake. He squeezing his hand in reassurance. "Okay, hun. I'm sorry."

Jake just smiled at him; clearly reassured by his darlings words.

Still, Dirk felt guilty now. He hoped that the present awaiting Jake at home would make up for any discomfort he had caused the sweet boy whose hand was firmly clasped in his.


	22. Doing Something Hot

The boys arrived back home; Dirk was still feeling guilty that he had caused Jake even a miniscule amount of worry. He greatly hoped that Jake's final present would make up for it. As they walked in the door, Jake pulled Dirk over to the couch. Kissing him fervently. He wanted to continue what they had started on the battlefield. Dirk, wanting to please him complied and soon ended up underneath the brunette; panting, blushing, and wanting nothing more than to let Jake do as he pleased. Still, he thought Jake would enjoy their time more if he could just present the boy with that gift. It was hard though; Jake was sucking on that wonderful spot on the neck that made Dirk dizzy with want as he felt himself dissolve into the ministrations of his dearest. He was determined though; he fought against the haze of pleasure and pushed back against Jake.

Jake backed off; a look of concern on his face. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no of course not." Dirk gave him a tender kiss on the lips. "I just have one more gift for you."

"You given me enough for one day. Besides, I think we'd both rather continue with our current situation." Jake wagged his eyebrows in such a dorky way that Dirk couldn't help but laugh and kiss the boy once more. He pulled back quickly though, much to Jake's disappointment.

"Trust me. I really think you'll want this tonight." Dirk said as he kissed down his darling's neck. Punctuating each word with a kiss, a nip, or a small suck of the skin.

Dirk finally pulled away completely. "Stay here until I call for you." Jake nodded, trying to be patient, but the look on his face told Dirk that he didn't have much time before Jake would take things into his own hands. Dirk would have to act quickly.

And he was right. Less than five minutes later Jake decided that he couldn't wait anymore and moved to find the object of his affection. As he made his way down the hall though, he heard Dirk call from their bedroom. "Okay Jake! Come here!"

Jake opened the door to find his boyfriend...in a lovely blue dress. His mouth was practically on the floor. First, because his boyfriend actually went through the trouble of creating this...what did Dirk call that style before...he had seen it in animes...Lolita? It hugged his body in all the right ways. Second, the fact that Dirk looked even _better_ than he had in those many, many dreams that Jake had of him in this type of garment. The color brought out the orange in the boy's eyes, making them pop and all that more intoxicating. Third, how did Dirk come up with this? Jake hadn't let this particular fantasy of his be known to the amazing creature in front of him. He was kind of embarrassed about it and was unsure of how Dirk would take; so he had kept it to himself. "How...?"

A coy smile crossed Dirk's lips. "You sleep talk, a lot. In fact, you are actually pretty coherent in your sleep discussions. It's pretty easy to figure out what you're dreaming about."

A blush bloomed across Jake's face. He didn't know he was that vocal in his sleep. That explains those mornings where Dirk seemed like he was distracted right after waking up.

"So, you like?" Dirk broke Jake's thought process.

"Yeah." Jake to a few steps closer, placing his hands on his boyfriend's waist; which the well tailored dress made all the more alluring. He kissed the blonde with a hesitant passion. One that was shy, but clearly held a raging inferno of desire just beneath the surface. It just needed a little coaxing; which Dirk was more than happy to do. The blonde opened his mouth, licking Jake's lips begging for entrance. Jake eagerly complied. There was a short battle of dominance; one that Dirk wasn't really trying to win; merely attempting to encourage Jake to do as he wished; to return to that state of confidence he exhibited in the living room.

The page pushed the prince onto the bed eagerly climbing on top of him. Kissing from the lips, to the jawline, down the neck; before finally settling in the crook of the neck; sucking and eliciting moans from the boy beneath him.

Dirk was panting. "So, I take it you like your birthday present?"

"Best birthday ever, love. So good to me."

The words made Dirk's heart leap. He felt he had officially made amends to Jake for his previous actions. The page above him eagerly exploring every part of his body made Dirk sublimely happy; lost in the elation that would most likely reach euphoric levels before the night was through.

Jake's hands wandered down to Dirk's bare legs. He moaned; when did Dirk shave? Trailing from the prince's knees, up his thighs; tracing circles as he went. The boy underneath him writhed at his touches; which only increase Jake's arousal. He needed to see Dirk's form again; he needed to take in the wonderful sight.

He pulled back; ignoring Dirk's whine of protest, and just looked at the blonde. He was flushed and the red on his skin only brought greater beauty to the blue of the dress and the orange of his eyes. The skirt of the dress barely covering the important parts now. Dirk was panting, eyes glossy with lust and want. Damn, the boy was gorgeous.

Jake descended one more. Kissing the other boy hard, hands trailing back up his thigh; reaching his hips. Jake groaned; Dirk wasn't wearing anything beneath the dress. Jake was getting frantic in his ministrations now; words spilling out of his mouth before he had time to think. "Say my name; come one love, say my name." He was back on Dirk's neck now; marking the boy over and over as his.

"Jake." Dirk repeated Jake's name with every caress, every kiss, every suck or nip on his skin.

Jake's birthday had never been so unbelievably magnificent.

 _ **Notes: My first thought for this prompt was to be a smartass and have them do something literally hot. Like walk on hot coals or something. I think this worked out better though; don't you?**_


	23. Dancing

The boys woke up the next morning; basking in each other's company. Today, they were going to switch it up. They were going to ignore their routine and spend the day together. Dirk was still in the dress; now stained from the previous night's activities. Jake still loved the way he looked in it; especially with his hair mussed. He looked like Adonis mixed with an angel. A strapping young man with the most gorgeous face; yet innocent looking face imaginable. The innocence accentuated by the lovely blue garment. Dirk was getting tired of it though. He didn't mind wearing a dress; especially now that he knew how much Jake loved it; but he needed a shower. Jake was more than happy to join him.

After the shower; Dirk had another surprise for Jake. It wasn't as big as the previous day's surprises, but he thought that Jake would like it none the less. He told the adventurer to go make breakfast while he got things set up in one of the empty spare bedrooms.

"Another surprise?! Love, you are doing entirely too much for me. I enjoy it; don't get me wrong, but I don't know how I could possibly return the amount of affection you bestowed upon me."

"Don't worry about it. I like doing these things for you Jake." The blonde leaned over; giving a chaste kiss to his dearest. "Besides, you have surprised me in other ways." Dirk gave him a mischievous stare that made Jake color ever so slightly. Dirk smirked, "Now go eat while I set up."

Jake cooked and ate breakfast; before he went to the empty room. As he arrived he saw a small sound system set-up speakers on the floor as Dirk hooked up his Ipod. Dirk turned around and what sounded like old 1920s music started to play. "What?" questioned Jake, although a small smile appeared on his lips. Were they going to dance?

"Every proper gentleman should know how to dance, right?" said Dirk as he crossed the room. Jake could feel a surge of emotion through his chest. Meeting his boyfriend in the middle of the room and kissing him with all the affection that existed within his being. How did he get so lucky? Dirk's arms wrapped around his waist; the boys so lost in the moment that they didn't even hear the music playing in the background.

They stayed like that for a long moment before Dirk pulled away. "First the waltz." Dirk then went through the steps with Jake, teaching him the epitome of ballroom dances. Jake paid attention, but was more enraptured by Dirk's familiarity with the skill than by the skill itself. God, this boy was amazing.

"Ready to try it with some music?" Asked Dirk. Jake nodded.

The music started up and Jake couldn't help but laugh a little. The song was "Girls Just Wanna have Fun" done in a waltz style. Jake liked it, it was nice, but he never pegged Dirk as someone who would listen to this. The blonde colored a little; "It's ironic." Nothing more was said as he took lead.

The boys danced and with Dirk leading their dance was smooth and fluid and so enjoyable. Their eyes never leaving each other's gaze. Dirk looked so calm and happy; Jake overjoyed and so in awe of the boy in front of him that only reverence shone through his eyes. Dirk found it intoxicating; but focused on the dance. He had more dances up his sleeve and he was going to sweep Jake off his feet.

After the song ended they moved on to the foxtrot. After running through the basic steps Dirk put on a jazz style version of Radioactive. He once again lead and the dance went smoothly. While they were dancing this time, Jake couldn't help but ask "How do you know all of this?"

"When I turned 14 Sawtooth started drilling me everyday on this stuff. I never really understood why; but he drilled me on just about every variation of ballroom dance." Now that Dirk thought about it though; he supposed that his bro probably programed Sawtooth as a way to give him an edge when trying to impress a romantic partner. He really owed his bro for that. He fought so hard a few years ago when the lessons started; but damn if this wasn't worth it.

"Wow, I would have never pegged you or your bro as those kinds of people... You are incredibly graceful, love."

Dirk blushed a little at that; leaning down to kiss Jake; not once breaking their dancing flow. Little did Dirk know that this completely enamored Jake; his reverence now bordering on complete worship of the boy in front of him. As if he wasn't already so stupidly in love with the prince; this was making it very hard to even think straight through his infatuation.

The second song finished. Dirk wasn't done yet. The boys spent the rest of the day dancing. Dirk taught Jake the basics of over a dozen ballroom dance styles; they had a break about halfway through. Jake insisted on making Dirk anything he wanted to eat; which ended up being that delicious chicken pot pie. While it was cooking Jake made a point of expressing his appreciation for all that Dirk had done for him.

After lunch they continued with the lessons; finishing with a 1920s style dance. Jake LOVED it. Dirk walked him through the steps and then put on a 1920s variation of Gentlemen by Sai. By the end of the song they were exhausted from all the physical exertion of the day. Jake was giddy though; so much; Dirk had showered him with so much love and affection these past few days Jake could hardly tell which way was up. He dragged Dirk to the bedroom; kissing and cuddling on their shared bed. "You're amazing, you know that, love? So wonderful, so kind, all mine." Jake didn't mean for that last part to slip out; but he was so lost in his adoration he couldn't bring himself to care.

Dirk noticed though; his, yes Dirk was his. He kissed the boy back. "That's right hun. All yours. All mine." The blonde moved to where he was hovering over the brunette now, kissing down his neck. Jake was as giddy as a school girl; practically giggling at dizzying effect the kisses had to his already overwhelmed senses. The boys spent the better part of the night expressing and re-expressing their mutual love for the other.

 _ **Notes: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Waltz: watch?v=5CPbg9ljE4M**_  
 _ **Jazz style Radioactive: watch?v=RCWBxxEJiGc**_  
 _ **1920s Gentlemen: watch?v=5iabyEebfCc**_  
 _ **I'm not sure if the foxtrot fit with Radioactive. I really like that version of the song; but I couldn't think of a ballroom dance that went perfectly with the song. Also, not sure what type of style of dance would have gone with Gentlemen; I want to say flapper? But I'm not sure.**_


	24. Different Clothing Style

The next day Dirk woke up alone in the boys' bed. Jake's side was empty and with a complete absence of warmth. He must have gotten up a while ago. Dirk's mind thought back to the wonderful night that the two boys shared, a small devious grin appearing on his face at the memory. He and Jake should dance more often if that's the kind of reception it brings. ...Hmmm...The prince of heart couldn't help but feel like he was forgetting something. Something relatively important...and his mind is back on the previous night. Damn that was nice. No, focus, what is important about today? He just couldn't put his finger on it. He should probably get up; maybe getting on with his morning routine would help.

Before Dirk could get out of bed though; Jake walked in. Dirk couldn't hide the surprise on his face when he saw his boyfriend come into the room wearing traditional hakama pants and no shirt. Damn the boy looked fine. Granted he didn't have quite the same muscular build up top that Dirk had, but the boy was still hot. Jake; seeing his reaction gave one of his rare, very sexy smirks. "Happy Birthday, love."

Oh, that's what he was forgetting. He had never been one to really celebrate his birthday before. Kind of hard to when you live alone your entire life. Your birthday ends up being just another isolated day in the sea of isolated days. If this is what birthdays with Jake meant though; he would celebrate every birthday to the fullest. He pulled Jake closer to him; lips ghosting over his chest, up his neck, and finally connecting with his lips in a scorching kiss. After a few seconds his pulled away; still lightly brushing his love's lips. "Thanks hun, this is a nice present."

Jake's voice a little huskier than usual. "Oh, this isn't your present, love. Just a little surprise bonus."

Dirk quirked his eye brow. "Really?"

"Yeah, but it's worked better than I thought; I wasn't expecting quite this reaction."

"mmmn," Dirk returned to Jake's neck, enjoying the gasp that his lips elicited from his lover. "Fantastic bonus." Another mark added to the many that already decorated Jake's neck. Each one like a stamp that said "property of Dirk Strider."

The boys pulled away. Jake was a little flushed from the contact. "First present."

Jake handed Dirk a box. The blonde took it; opening it to find an amazing orange men's kimono. "Wow, hun, this is awesome!" Jake simpered, pleased that he got such a positive reaction from the prince. "Here, let me help you put it on."

After they had were able to correctly put the ensemble on Dirk's lovely body Jake couldn't help but blush. The boy was, as always, gorgeous. The orange kimono open slightly; his sculpted chest peeking through. Dirk noticed his look and brought him close once more; meeting in a tender kiss. Jake's hand slipping in to touch that magnificent chest. Dirk smirked; he loved Jake's caresses. The boys weren't quite ready for another session of carnal desires though; at least not yet. After last night, they were content with loving kisses, caresses, and sweet nothings. Jake pulled out his second gift for Dirk. It was a DVD that made Dirk's eyes light up with childlike glee.

"Puella Magi Madoka Magica!" He had been wanting to watch that for a while, he just never got around to it. Too much work to do. Jake couldn't help but feel his chest swell with pride; he could be just as good at this kind of the as Dirk; in fact he was determined to be.

The boys settled into what had become their favorite cuddle position. Jake's head on Dirk's chest with the blonde's arm around him. They ended up watching all 12 episodes in one sitting. Both enjoyed it immensely. Jake then went to the kitchen and returned shortly with shio ramen, Dirk's favorite. Dirk eagerly grabbed it from Jake and ate it while they put on the Madoka Magica movies.

Dirk's birthday was quieter than Jake's had been and that was just how Dirk liked it. Calm, intimate, relaxing, it was the perfect birthday. Plus he loved his kimono and Jake, shirtless in hakama pants. As they finished the second movie and Jake went to put the final movie in, Dirk grabbed his wrist and pulled him back onto the bed capturing his lips It was 8:00, they had watched nothing but anime all day and Dirk was ready for a change. He would definitely watch the last movie later though; that anime kicks ass. Right now however, he was wanting some other type of entertainment. He gently pulled Jake back, climbing on top of him kissing with fervor. Jake was calmly pushing against his chest. The prince separated himself from the page; giving him a look that said "What's wrong?" Jake just gave a calculating grin; holding up one finger as if to say "just one moment." he extracted himself from the bed; going into the next room for a few minutes.

Dirk waited patiently; he figured he was in for a visual treat; Jake was matching him, gift for gift for his birthday. Dirk wasn't prepared for HOW Jake would match him though. The prince had expected him to come out in a frilly dress or something equally feminine. Instead, he was met with the sight of Jake with black cat ears, a bright red bell-collar and rather than hakama he was wearing the shortest black short shorts that Dirk had ever seen. "You like, love?" asked Jake as he struck Ichigo's pose from Tokyo Mew Mew.

Dirk was bright red. His cat ear moe was the one thing that still embarrassed him; although not enough to stop him from jumping up and half tackling/ half hugging Jake. He kissed the cat boy fervently; like Jake was his drug of choice and he was an addict. And damn, this was so much better than a dress. Jake eagerly returned the kiss; moaning slightly. He loved how into this Dirk was; he relished that he could get this reaction; no one else in their universe could do this to Dirk (okay their universe only had two other people...shut up). He loved the feeling of the blonde's hands on his body; that frenetic energy that could only be contained by grabbing at every inch of Jake's body that he could. It was enough to make the brunette dizzy with want and need. The boys quickly moved to the bed for another night of endless carnal recreation.

 ** _Notes: Next time we see Roxy's birthday! However we will not be seeing Jane's. Mostly because I'm not a big fan of Jane (as you could probably tell with how little I write her). I don't hate her, I don't think she's a bad character; she is just boring to me and I have no interest in her._**


	25. Doing Something Ridiculous

_**Notes: I don't know if this can really be considered "ridiculous", but I wanted to keep it light hearted and all my other ideas are kind of morbid or just ideas I hate. So here it is.**_

The boys arrived at Roxy's place the next day. However, they did not find Roxy; instead they were met with a note on the door that read:

 _Hey guys-_

 _Door's unlocked; go into the kitchen and put on the costumes that are on the counter. Then, meet me on the rooftop of Dirk's apartment._

 _Luv,_

 _Roxy_

 _P.S. Please don't wonk in my bed. I know you guys are into kinky cosplay sex; but that's not the reason for the costumes. ;)_

Both boys colored a little at Roxy's note; but did as instructed. They let themselves in and made their way to the kitchen. The costumes were laid out; neatly folded. Well, they might as well change. They no longer hesitated to change in front of each other. In fact, Dirk put on a small show for Jake. He knew the green clad boy was watching out of the corner of his eye. Dirk stretched as he took off his shirt, showing off his abs and arm muscles. Jake returned the gesture with one of his own. He unzipped his shorts bending far over to remove them and lingering just a bit for his boyfriend to enjoy. And Dirk did, he loved Jake's plump rump; so much so that he couldn't resist. He reached out and gave a playful smack to Jake's ass. The other boy yelped a little from surprise, and was about to return it with his own frisky gesture; however the words of Roxy's note entered his mind and he refrained. He knew Dirk and himself well enough to know that at this point in their relationship they could get started anywhere, anytime. He wanted to respect Roxy's wishes though and did not return the gesture, only giving a small goofy smile; thus ending the flirtatious foreplay.

Dirk took the hint and unfurled his costume. "Why the hell am I dressing up as Batman?" He didn't mind, he just wanted to know why. The wonderful thought of Jake in a Robin costume crossed his mind. Roxy couldn't be that awesome could she? He looked over; only to be disappointed. Jake's costume was rather bulky. Not at all the skin tight suit of the boy wonder. As Jake put it on a realization dawned on Dirk. "I think you're Sherlock Holmes."

"I think you're right, love. Smashing! I've always like Sherlock." A goofy smile erupted on Jake's face. The boy was so cute when he was geeking out over something. It was time for Dirk to focus on getting his own costume on. It wasn't easy. Roxy got quality costumes and this thing was designed to be a skin tight armor. After a little bit of fumbling though Dirk was able to get it on. Jake was staring at him.

"That really shows of your muscles, love. It looks really good on you." Jake had a look of awe in his eyes. Desire was there, sure, but it also held a sort of adoration. Like Dirk really was the caped crusader. And this scared the shit out of Dirk. He liked it when Jake looked at him with lust, desire, and a soft affection. However, every once in a while he felt that Jake saw him as something more than he was. It was terrifying. Dirk didn't want to disappoint Jake; but at the same time he knew he could never live up to Jake's praise. He was too terrible a person. He knew one day Jake would wake up and see him for who he truly is. He is not a hero; he isn't a very good person. Dirk knew that about himself; he was selfish and pushy and one day Jake would be driven away. Dirk was frightened by the prospect; but knew it to be true. The look in Jake's eyes were proof. Jake put him on a pedestal; which will make the fall look that much father when Jake realized all of Dirk's flaws.

The blonde had gotten better at hiding the emotion in his eyes since he started going out with Jake. He must always guard himself; less he be destroyed.

Jake couldn't detect fear, only discomfort. He hadn't pegged Dirk for being bashful about his physique; he never had been before. Although, that had only been around Jake. So the adventurer gave his roboticist a gentle kiss. "You look lovely." Dirk gave him a small smile in return; however his eyes still held something. Something negative. Sadness? Jake was probably over thinking it. "Let's Go."

They started to leave the house; Jake was rambling but Dirk was left with a feeling of unease. It wasn't his fears about Jake; know he put that on the back burner. This wasn't the time or place for him to work through those feelings. No, it was the costumes. For some reason they filled him with dread. There was something about them that gave the prince a feeling of embarrassment. Which was odd; he was never embarrassed about cosplay. Actually he really enjoyed it. So why did these costumes make him so antsy. He felt like he was forgetting a crucial detail.

As the boys arrived on the rooftop they were met with Roxy and Jane wearing complementary costumes to their own. Roxy was dressed as Robin and Jane as Watson. Dirk suddenly felt his stomach drop. No, nonononononononono. This wasn't happening. He sealed those damn files. Nothing made him look more like a geek than those damn raps. He could try to play it off as ironic; but he knew it would be obvious that he truly enjoyed writing them. How did Roxy get them? This wasn't happening. Then the blonde descried a camera setup on a tripod at the end of the roof. Oh hell no. "I'm not doing this." He turned to leave.

"AWWWW! C'mon Dirk pwease! They're good and acting them out would be even better! C'mon please just this once!" Roxy called out to him; a smirk remained plastered on her face the entire time.

"Only if you tell me how the hell you got them."

"...Remember that fight you got into with Hal a few months before all this? Well, he has a surprisingly vindictive side. He sent me them thinking he was getting back at you I think? I don't know why though, I think they are AWESOME!" That didn't surprise Dirk; Hal was him and if he would've done the same.

"What is she talking about, love?"

"Just some stupid shit I wrote when I was bored." Jake couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Not that it was a big deal; but he took pride in knowing so much about Dirk; about seeing the hidden side that he rarely showed. Knowing that Roxy knew something he didn't, well, it annoyed him.

"Alright, let's do this." Roxy grinned so hard that Dirk worried her face would freeze that way. She handed scripts to Jane and Jake. Dirk refused he knew exactly which rap the were doing.

Roxy put on a nice beat for the rap-off and they began.

Dirk (Batman):  
Nice hat, dork, you look like a duck  
I had Alfred read your books, he told me they suck  
I'll crush your British nuts until they're bangers and mash  
I've seen better detective work in Tango & Cash  
You chump, I kick punks like you off the streets  
While you and Velma here are solving Scooby Doo mysteries  
Nothing makes me laugh, but I bet your raps can  
So bring it on, bitch, I'm Batman!

Jake (Sherlock Holmes):  
I once met a rich fellow who smelled of guano and pain

Jane (Dr. Watson):  
Holmes explain

Jake (Sherlock Holmes):  
I deduce this douce stain as Bruce Wayne

Jane (Dr. Watson):  
The billionaire?

Jake (Sherlock Holmes):  
Yes, his wealth would allow this adversary of ours  
To afford the toys his needs

Jane (Dr. Watson):  
Since he has no superpowers!

Jake (Sherlock Holmes):  
You want to battle, bat? Bring it then

Jane (Dr. Watson):  
I heard he has a British butler

Jake (Sherlock Holmes):  
Good! Then he'll be used to getting served by Englishmen!  
You're a wack vigilante black pantied spud with no skill  
My sidekick's a doctor

Jane (Dr. Watson):  
Because his flows are so ill!

Dirk (Batman):  
Shut up, nerds, I serve justice, so eat it  
My sidekick only comes around

Roxy (Robin):  
When he's needed!  
Boy wonder make a wonder how your ass got killed  
Quite harder than those hounds down in Baskerville  
I'll bust you with that bat whack rap repellant  
Rappel a buildin', snatch a villain and by dinner be chilling  
Gotta sing about your homegirl Irene Adler  
To come back to my nest, Bam and pow, kersplat her  
I'll shatter that fiddle with a chop of the hand!  
Holy Conan Doyle, let's get 'em! Aw god damn!

Dirk (Batman):  
You're not smart, you're selfish, you endanger everyone's life  
Why don't you let your boyfriend here go home to his wife?  
Nobody likes you, not your brother, not your partner, not Scotland Yard  
You'll die alone with no friends except that needle in your arm!

Jake (Sherlock) *Soliloquy*:  
This mustn't register on an emotional level...  
First, exploit childhood tragedy...then gesture with pipe...  
Watson finishes punchline...next, acknowledge compliment...  
Conclude with killer catchphrase... *Soliloquy ends*  
I believe your parent's homicide is why you mask your face  
You're shamed and traumatized and haunted by the vast disgrace  
Of watching like a passive waste as momma died and daddy was dispatched with haste!

Jane (Dr. Watson):  
Holmes, you've cracked the case!

Jake (Sherlock Holmes):  
You're a bat shit crazy basket case!

Jane (Dr. Watson):  
Bloody good rhymes!

Jake (Sherlock Holmes):  
I've got tons!  
Dissing these dynamic douchebags was elementary, my dear Watson

Jake and Jane stumbled a bit over their parts, but everyone got into it, yes even Dirk. They all laughed at the end telling Dirk that the raps were brilliant. Dirk remained relatively impassive and thanked them; however he still felt like an un-ironice geek. Which bugged him as he felt it ruined his cool-boy façade.

Roxy asked surprisingly sheepishly."I made a few dork raps myself...would you guys mind doing one more?"

Dirk held a type of filial tenderness for Roxy, he just couldn't bring himself to say no "Sure". Roxy lit up, immediately bringing out four more costumes. The girls went inside to change as the boys stayed on the rooftop. It's not like anyone was around and it wouldn't take long anyway. Apparently this time Dirk was Santa Claus and Jake was...a chimney sweep?

Roxy reappeared, dressed as Mrs. Claus; while Jane was dressed as...Mary Poppins? Oh, that must make Jake Bert. Okay, that works. This dawned on both boys and while Jake realized they were siblings he couldn't help but feel another pang of envy when he saw that Dirk and Roxy were technically dressed as a married couple. It really shouldn't bug him, but it did; it did to no end. He knew he was being ridiculous; but Dirk was giving a hesitant smile to Roxy and it just fed the green-eyed monster inside Jake. He needed to not think about it. He took the second batch of scripts Roxy handed out and the four began.

Jane (Mary):  
When there's a looming battle to be faced and fought, the lesson is: get right to it  
Practically perfect people prefer to be polite, but sometimes you just have to say "screw it"  
You never get applause  
You're the dependent Claus  
You're known for wrapping toys  
But my rapping skill destroys  
I'm money in the Banks so show some respect  
If you tear me up like paper then I'll resurrect  
And I suspect you should check your cholesterol twice  
Hey, fat cat, how are you at catching mice?  
You're like a piecrust, so easily smashed  
I'll feed the birds what's left of you once you've been trashed  
I hear it's been years since the North Pole got rigid  
Today's forecast says you're entirely frigid

Roxy (Mrs. Claus): Don't go there, honey, the word around town  
Is just a spoonful of sugar gets you to go down  
The parrot on your parasol does nothing but protest  
You're a stuck-up servant, ho-ho-horribly dressed  
The biggest charity since ever, we help the masses  
With you a couple kids get splinters in their asses (*Roxy smacks Jane's ass, Jane responds with "Cheeky!")  
Your rhymes are weak - you're a low stakes player  
Come at me, freak - I'll one-horse open slay ya  
I'm behind the scenes, but that doesn't mean I'm dumb  
I run the workshop, keep the books, and advise my sugar plum  
I'm a baker, all about these rolls, a big broad bruiser  
Even your reflection thinks you're a loser

Jane (Mary): I find this a bore, let's double it up

Roxy (Mrs. Claus): Oh, bring it on, sister, we will mess your shit up!

Roxy (Mrs. Claus): Bert  
Jake (Bert): Santa  
Dirk (Santa): Mary  
Jane (Mary): …Mrs.? *Roxy hisses in response*

Jake (Bert): Extemporized before your very eyes  
Love to laugh at jolly guys I despise  
I likes what I raps and I raps what I likes  
'cause damn right Van Dyke rocks these mics  
You're an icon of greed that's perverted the season  
You give coal to bad kids, Mary teaches 'em reason, she's

Jane (Mary): Super classy, swagolistic, extremely ferocious

Jane & Jake (Mary & Bert): Super classy, swagolistic, extremely ferocious

Jane (Mary): I could do this whole verse backwards, but I truly feel  
I'm through wasting my time, because you're not even real

Dirk (Santa): Fool, I'm real, and I'm spectacular  
This Dick can't stick to an accent or vernacular

Roxy (Mrs. Claus): Your ugly carpet bag might impress a dunce

Dirk (Santa): But my sack holds billions of presents at once  
The whole world counts down to December twenty-fourth  
Winter is coming, I'm the "King in the North"

Roxy (Mrs. Claus): Drinking one Coke a year has made us rich

Dirk (Santa): My list's never wrong: it says you're a bitch

Jane (Mary): Please don't act like you're some kind of saint, Nick  
Jake (Bert): Always spying on minors

Jane & Jake (Mary & Bert): That's jailbait, prick

Roxy (Mrs. Claus): This boring British wench needs a long winter's nap

Dirk (Santa): You've been a naughty girl, shut up and sit on my lap

Jane (Mary): That's quite enough of that, the winds have changed here  
Let's see how well you fly without your reindeer

Again a little stumbling, somehow Dirk managed to get through the whole thing with ease. Crocker and English were the ones stumbling over themselves. Still, it was quite enjoyable. At the end Dirk couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Good Job Rox, that was great." Roxy beamed and hugged her paradox brother. He hesitated, but returned the hug. Truth was, he would never say this out loud, but he loved Roxy dearly. She was like that kid sister you always wanted to see smile and protect. Jake saw their hug and again another jab of jealousy. He really shouldn't feel this way, but he does. The Derse siblings pulled away.

"Alright biyotches lets eat some of that kickass looking cake Janey made. I brought some of my mom's wine too."

"That sounds great Rox, but I'd like to change out of the Santa gear first."

"OOO change into this. Then we can all be fancy1" Roxy pulled out and handed tuxedos for the boys and elegant dresses for herself and Jane. The four went back into the apartment to change. And then cake, glorious cake.

 _ **Notes:**_ _**The rap battles aren't mine! Just my current obsession because I'm a dork =P.**_

 _ **Here is the source for Batman v Sherlock: watch?v=17CLlZuiBkQ**_  
 _ **And Mrs. Claus v Mary Poppins: watch?v=K9qfaTBCYSA**_

 _ **As you guys can probably tell, I LOVE Dirk/Roxy Moirail shipping! I just love the emphasis on a sibling relationship between the two I think it's adorable.**_

 _ **Warning: The next chapter will be probably be super short. It's just a bridge into the chapter after it.**_


	26. Formal Wear

The boys went into Dirk's room to change; the girls left towards one of the spare bedrooms. They were changing into the tuxedos, but were eyeing each other out of the corner of their eyes. Dirk did this because any chance to see Jake's toned legs and plush ass should always be taken. Jake was a bit more mixed. He loved admiring Dirk's gorgeous body; but also he found himself trying to control his irrational jealousy. It was not reasonable that he should be jealous of Roxy. His relationship with Dirk was great, he knew the blonde loved him dearly. Still, the more he tried to discredit his emotions the more irritated he became. He chose instead to fall back on the original plan; pushing them under the rug for now. It wasn't a great plan, but at least he wasn't adding anger to the mix anymore.

Dirk could read Jake like an open book. He knew that Jake was jealous, and to be honest he thought it was cute. It was a testament to how little he was around people growing up. Not that Dirk was any better. He experienced jealousy too. But he was world's better at hiding it. The boys were now dressed in everything but their ties. Dirk was able to get his done right away, but he saw Jake struggling with his. "Here hun, let me help." Dirk took the ends of the tie out of Jake's hands and expertly tied it into a neat not. "Golly love, is there anything you don't know how to do?" Jake was looking at him with awe again. That awe that terrified Dirk, that awe that was the harbinger of the relationship's demise. He could practically hear Jake's disappointment with him; when the realization finally dawns and the adventurer grows to resent him. It both was and wasn't Dirk's fault. He couldn't control Jake's perception; but he's done nothing to correct it either. Even now he doesn't correct it. He is so scared and feels so powerless. Lose the boy now or later; those are his options. He chooses later; Dirk chooses to savor the moments that he spends with Jake now. He'll deal with the fallout later.

With that thought in mind Dirk brought his hand to his dearests face; giving him a sweet kiss. Forgetting the ephemeral nature of their love and mutual affection; forgetting that one day this love will rot like a delectable apple on the tree of life. That apple that is so sweet for a fleet phase and then is robbed of it's viability and it's allure with time. He will be left clutching his incomplete heart; watching as a piece of him leave with Jake. That final piece that makes him whole right now; will be taken. He couldn't let those thoughts take over him now. He wanted to relish the feeling of the page's lips. The warmth of his face and body. The complete intoxication of his love; no matter how temporary. He pulled apart after a moment and gave one more kiss his love's forehead. Jake doesn't let him fully separate though; before he can pull away completely Jake pulls the blonde into another kiss; one unlike Dirk had experienced from him before. The brunette's kisses were usually shy, affectionate, loving, or sometimes during the more erotic moments they could be filled with desire and lust and passion. This though, this kiss was unlike those. This kiss had possession and neediness. Like he was afraid and he needed to remind you that you were his. Silly boy, you'll always be his. You just know that he won't always be yours.

When Dirk kissed him, Jake felt a warmth envelope his body. He felt that envy melt away in that moment. Dirk was his; he had claim and he knew Dirk would never betray him. However as the roboticist pulled away leaving one more tender kiss on his forehead; Jake felt like it was a goodbye. Like Dirk was letting go; letting go of what the green-eyed boy didn't know. But, it felt like the apple of his eye was saying good by to him. It scared Jake, he needed to bring Dirk back, this isn't stopping. He wasn't leaving yet. He didn't know what was going on in the prince's that overly-convoluted brain, but they weren't finished. He needed Dirk now, he needed his touch and his attention and his love. Never let go. Jake would never let go.

Jake finally pulled away after a few minutes; Dirk's eyes were filled with concern. "You okay hun?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He couldn't tell his feelings to Dirk; he felt like he was being ridiculous. He needed to calm down. "Let's go, Roxy will get upset if we wait too long.

"Wait." Jake paused looking at Dirk, Dirk was looking at him and the two boys finally saw how each other looked in their tuxes. "Damn English, You clean up well."

Jake flushed a little; he always blushed at Dirk's compliments. It was nice to know he was still looking. "Back at ya Strider." Jake reached and gave a playful squeeze to Dirk's rear. The blonde's eyes widened for a moment before a devious grin broke across his face. He was about to enact a little affectionate display of his own when a knock sounded at the door.

"Yo, you guys dressed yet? You're not having sex are you? Normally, I wouldn't mind, but this isn't the time. At least drink some booze first, yeesh."

The boys opened the door, a little red, but nothing out of place.


	27. Getting Married

_**Notes: Kind of crappy chapter. It was so much better in my head, but didn't come out so well once typed out.**_

As the boys exited the room they found the girls standing in front of them. They both were in elegant dresses. Roxy, in a lovely lavender pink princess gown with embroidered roses and vines climbing up the bodice. Jane, in a powder blue ball gown with white lace daises decorating the bottom. Both had sophisticated up-dos.

"C'mon let's party!" declared Roxy, brandishing a bottle of merlot.

"Alright, but don't over-do it." Dirk replied.

A few hours later all four kids were full of sugar and wine. Roxy more than anyone; but surprisingly Dirk was a close second. Jake had had some to drink, but was only lightly buzzed. Jane went to bed at 11:00 after drinking 3 glasses herself. She was a sleepy drunk.

"I never took you for a drinker, love." Said Jake a little giddy from the drink, but otherwise no different than when he was sober.

"I'm not, but it's a special occasion." Dirk's speech was slightly slurred, and while he was white knuckling self-control he couldn't help but let a few things slip. Like his smile; he had a huge grin plastered on his face. Also, he seemed more willing to let his feelings known.

He had told Jake three times in fifteen minutes that he loved him. He also stated; only once, that he didn't want Jake to leave. When Jake inquired further the blonde withdrew, setting down his drink and seemed to sober enough to realize what he had said. Thus, the white knuckling began. Worse of all, this wasn't completely an expression. Dirk literally had one of his hands balled into a fist. His nails probably digging into his palm drawing blood. Considering his reaction; Jake had the remarkable ability to retain his wits and not press further; not here; not now.

"How're you naw smashed?" Dirk's accent was coming through, another thing that was slipping through his restraint. Dammit, he drank too much. How could he not pay attention to how much he was drinking? He should have stopped when Roxy brought out the second bottle. It was good though, and it made the fears in the back of his mind go away. Well, for a while. Now they're just slipping out through his damn mouth.

Jake shrugged "I've had less to drink, plus I think I've had more experience with alcohol than you, love. Grandma loved her schnapps and but she only ever had one in an evening. She always told me to know my limit and remain below it, always."

At this point Roxy burst in and redirected the conversation. "You guysh ever thinksh about gettin' marrish."

"Where Rox? It's naw like civilization exists anymar." Dirk, self-restraint slipping further.

"I'll marrish you!"

"You would?!"

"Okay, guys I think it's been a long night and we should all just go to bed." Jake had seen enough. He was pretty sure that this was Dirk's first time with wine and he had clearly overdone it. Dirk had always been full of self-control; Jake was surprised that the blonde allowed himself to drink as much as he had. It was unlike Dirk. Jake chalked it up to a rare naivete moment for the prince.

"You don wanna marry me, hun?" The look of hurt in Dirk's eyes; any restraint he had now gone; it broke Jake's heart.

"Of course, I would love to marry yo-" "OKAY THEN!" Roxy jumped up and made her way unsteadily into the kitchen. Returning seconds later with two packages in her hand. "Put these on!"

They were ring pops.

Jake sighed. They probably wouldn't remember this tomorrow morning and Jane had already gone to bed. He might as well; then they can all go to bed and put an end to the rising madness.

The boys put the candy rings on each other's fingers.

"Okay now take hansh." The boys did as instructed.

"Do you both take eash other to lovsh and hold and frick and have that weirsh kinky furrish sex. Until deash do you part?"

"I do." The boys confirmed.

"Then I declarsh you hushband and hushband. You may now wonk." The boys kissed. Dirk tried to deepen the act, however Jake pulled away.

"Okay, time for bed." Dirk and Roxy gave a pair of devious grins.

"Damn Dirk, your boyfriend ish a horny motherfucker. Good choish. "

"That's not what I meant. Everyone is going to bed now." The adventurer got up, yanked the bottle out of Roxy's hand gesturing for the two to get up.

"Whoa, a threeshome? Damn, so Jaksh the kinky one? Well, I lost a bet!"

"NO! You two are going to sleep now!"

The siblings covered their ears. "Too loud." They whined.

Jake pinched the bridge of his nose. He wish he had his phone. He was stupid and left it at Roxy's when they changed. If he could just record Dirk he knows he could get the boy to swear of booze for the rest of his life. This was too much.

Jake was able to; after much fuss and fight; get the blonde pair in bed. They ended up sharing; normally his jealousy would have spiked at the mere thought; but right now all he wanted to do was sleep.

The next morning Dirk and Roxy woke up with matching hangovers. Dirk asked Jake what had happened. Mostly he wanted to know why he woke up spooning his paradox sister; but he didn't mention that to his boyfriend. After Jake woke up, he gave him a full account. "Shit, I'm never drinking again."

"Neither am I." Roxy hadn't heard the conversation; she had spent the past twenty minutes in the bathroom puking.

Jake wanted to ask Dirk about his drunk talk; but it was such a private thing he knew it would have to wait.

 _ **Notes:**_ _So one more chapter before the argument. Four more chapters total and then I'm done with the challenge!_


	28. Doing Something Together

Chapter Text

It had been a few weeks since Roxy's party. Jake had approached the subject of Dirk's unguarded drunk ramblings a few times, but the boy refused to talk about or even acknowledge it. He had become clingier; although he denies it. Their usual routine was almost nonexistent now. They woke up in similar manner as before, kissing and cuddling. Now though, Dirk seemed less inclined to go off on his own. He kept coaxing Jake to join in his activities or impose himself upon Jake's solo adventuring. At first Jake didn't mind. He enjoyed the extra time with his boyfriend and he felt the jealousy he experienced at Roxy's birthday dissipate. However, lately it seemed like he never had a chance to recharge. He thought about asking Dirk to allow him some alone time, but he wasn't sure how Dirk would receive the request. Despite all his experience with danger and tense situations: Jake was excessively non-confrontational when it came to relationships. He preferred to keep his mouth shut and pray for things to return to the way they had been.

It was raining today; a rarity on LOMAX. Jake never really cared for the rain; the pitter-patter on the windows, the way it made everything wet and slippery; the way it would soak a person in minutes and left them shivering for the rest of the day. Dirk though, Dirk seemed to love it. It was one of the few times he saw the blonde just stare out the window; such a peaceful look on his face. Before Jake could enquire about his love's mood, the roboticist stood up and made his way out the door. There was an unsheltered upper-floor deck attached to Jake's room. Dirk rarely went outside, not one for nature at all; he preferred cold metal and an environment only the mind could produce. He tolerated nature for Jake's sake on many occasions; but it was never his natural habitat. Which is why it was odd to see him just standing out there; letting the rain coat him, sink into him, paint him in a translucent gloss. Jake wondered what went through that boy's mind.

It was only minutes later; seconds? Hours? Jake hadn't realized he had been staring at his lovely; what's more he didn't know how long he had been transfixed in that spot. Either way, Dirk was now laying down on the deck, arms and legs spread wide; as if offering himself as a sacrifice for the rain to consume. Jake wondered if he should go out there. Or should he leave Dirk alone. Maybe take out a jacket? Some cocoa? Then again, this was his chance for some alone time himself. He mentally smacked himself at that thought. Dirk was clearly going through something; he had been acting so different lately, like he was afraid to part from Jake. Yet at the same time he refused to talk about it.

Dirk had always enjoyed the rain. It was the one part of nature that he always loved. It cleansed everything. The sound of it was like white noise that reset everything to silence when it was through. The water droplets washed everything they touched and the slight mist created from the weather event cleansed any toxins from the air. So maybe, just maybe, the rain would cleanse him too. He knew he was pushing Jake lately. He knew it was grating on his love; but he couldn't stop himself. In the back of his mind he could hear the doomsday clock of their relationship. A clock that no matter what he did; he couldn't stop it from ticking. So what's the next best thing? Making the most of the time he had. Jake could tell he had something was on his mind. But Dirk could never bring himself to talk about. Why burden a loved one with a future that only you can see? Jake would take it as Dirk wanting out of the relationship; which couldn't be further from the truth. Dirk knew Jake better than the boy knew himself. He could anticipate his actions; he knew where it was headed. Better to keep things to himself.

The rain was dripping off him now. Goosebumps decorated his flesh. If he could just cleanse his mind of these thoughts then maybe it could be different. Dirk could see what he was doing. He was creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. He knew he was creating the demise of his own romance. Yet, he couldn't stop himself. Besides, if he didn't ruin it something else would. At least this way he could convince himself that he was the one in control. It would end from his actions, his words. No one else's. He refused to be at the mercy of fate or other people's influence.

He closed his eyes; he was shivering, but couldn't bring himself to care. Please, let this purify his soul and ease his mind. He forced himself to focus on the sound, smell, and feel of the rain. He opened his mouth just a little; so he could taste it. Let it purge him inside and out.

He laid there for god knows how long. Then all at once he was shielded from the cold and the water. He opened his eyes to find Jake above him in a rain coat; holding two mugs. He sat up and looked down at his waist. Jake had covered him with a blanket.

"I don't know what's going through that noggin of yours, love. But I'm not about to let you get sick again." Jake sat beside him offering him one of the mugs. It was hot chocolate with whip cream piled high; just how Dirk liked it. "You want to take about it?" Jake was entreating; no, he was practically begging Dirk to talk about the mental chasm that had swallowed him. Dirk should just tell him; Dirk should come clean about his cognitive dysphoria and the catalyst of it. He should at least try to explain what it was that caused him to become more possessive and pushy and domineering of Jake's time as of late. He owes Jake that much; even if it leaves him more vulnerable that he has ever been; he owes it to Jake.

"No, hun. It's nothing really. I just like the rain." He couldn't do it. He had already come down from his ivory tower. He had taken off his armor and tossed aside his sword. His heart exposed; he was practically defenseless. He had lifted up the face guard on his helmet; but he just couldn't take that helmet off. He had already exposed his heart, his emotions, and tossed aside his cool kid façade; his sword with which he could defend against anything. His mind was all he had left. His thoughts were all that he had left. As bat-shit crazy as they may be; they were his. They made sense to him; he already knew he was nuts, he didn't need someone to confirm it for him. To use against him, to dump him because of them.

Jake didn't believe the soaked boy's claim; but he didn't want to push it and start an argument either. So the two just sat in the rain for a while; sipping their warm beverages. Jake eventually convinced Dirk to return indoors; and the two toweled off and engaged in an unsatisfying cuddle in their bed before they fell asleep, awkwardly in each other's arms.


	29. Arguing

_**Notes:**_ _**Stars + italics = Flashback**_  
 _ **Underline = Dialogue from the webcomic**_

Was it really even considered an argument when it ended so quickly?

 _***"I'm going out." Jake said; it had been three and a half months since Roxy's party._

 _"Oh, let me get dressed and I'll come with." Dirk hadn't become any less invasive into Jake's personal time and the boy was done._

 _"No, I'm going by myself this time."_

 _"Don't be like that. It'll be fun. The whole adventuring duo thing like when we first entered the medium."_

 _"That was when we were getting to know each other. We know each other plenty now; I'll be fine on my own." Jake needed Dirk to back off. He had already let the blonde talk him into doing some things he regretted. Like this stupid Sweet Bro tattoo. It wasn't ironic or whatever the hell Dirk tried to justify it as; it was just; fucking, stupid. He was tired of posing for Dirk's drawings and helping him with those damn robots. He was tired of the blonde accompanying him on his adventures. He always got tired before Jake and they would have to return early or take a thousand breaks. It wasn't that he hated the boy's company he was just so NEEDY about it._

 _Dirk knew all of what Jake was thinking. He knew the boy was at his breaking point. Yet, he just couldn't stop himself. He could fix it, if Jake would let him, he could fix it. "But what if-"_

 _"STRIDER! I'M GOING ALONE." ***_

And that was it. Dirk had been left speechless by Jake's use of his last name. Jake decamped hastily, like it was his only chance at freedom. That was several hours ago. The green-clad boy hadn't returned that night. Dirk had sent him a message via pesterchum. He wasn't trying to bother Jake, he just needed to know he was alright. No message was returned.

That was two days ago. Dirk could take the hint. He packed up enough of his belongings to last him a few days and went to his apartment. Once he was there he sent another message.

TT: Jake I left your place, I can give you space; I'm sorry. Just, let me know when you get this okay? Go back to your house and let me know that you're alive.

There he was ordering the boy around again. He hoped he would get a response. One word; one LETTER would be enough. He just needed to know that the page was okay. Of course nothing ever came of it.

It wasn't until day three that Dirk had received a message from Roxy. Apparently she had heard one side of an argument between Jane and Jake. Jake was questioning their relationship. He wasn't sure he wanted to be with Dirk anymore. She wanted to give the boy a heads up. She loved Dirk and didn't want him to feel blindsided. She offered to come over, but Dirk declined. He didn't want anyone to see the state he was in.

He knew the news was coming. He had known it for months now; so why did the news still hurt so god damn much? He lost all restraint; all control of himself and sobbed uncontrollably. He could barely breath he was crying so hard. He knew what he had been doing, he knew this was the fate he had predicted; he had even prepared himself mentally for it. But no amount of preparation could have readied him for the onslaught of sadness and dysphoria he felt. Like light would never shine on his face again, like no joy would grace him with its presence for the rest of his life. He felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. Jake had been able to bury himself further into Dirk's psyche than the prince had even realized. He had become so much a part of Dirk that with Roxy's message, Dirk felt as if his was heart had been torn in two pieces and Jake had the other half.

 _The page had climbed his ivory tower; all those defenses and traps and misleading directions. He greeted the prince and built a rapport with the isolated boy. He had coaxed him down from his bird's eye view; where he could see everyone, but few could see him. It scared the boy, so exposed like this. His first line of defense gone only the armor and sword left. It was okay though, he trusted the page. Little by little the page had persuaded him to take off his armor and set down his weapon. Nothing to fear, no one will hurt you, you are safe, you are loved. Protected by those you hold dear and those that hold you dear._

 _Lies, all lies._

 _Now the prince was left bleeding and weak. The air robbed from his lungs, the blood leaking from the wound in his chest. The boy was writhing in pain. Please, don't let it be a lie. Come back. Please, I'm sorry. Love me. Please, love me. I'm tired of being lonely, I'm tired of being afraid of others seeing me. I know I'm disfigured, that my expressions of affection and emotions may not look normal; but please. Come back. Don't leave me alone. I can be better. Don't leave. Come back. Please. Please. Please._

Dirk sobbed for two days straight; he sent some desperate texts to Jake. He'll take him on another adventure through LOTAK. Just like old times. Come on. It'll be great.

No response.

Dirk mourned his relationship like he would more a death of a close relative. The world was missing something now. A light was gone and he wanted more than anything to see it once more. Just once more.

The blonde had no appetite and could only reply Roxy's check-ins the same response. He's fine, he's dealing with it. No need to worry. He had expected this. He had caused this. He couldn't let anyone see him like this; he was vulnerable enough. A gentle breeze would leave a bruise on him right now. He needed to regain control, then maybe he'll talk about it…probably not.

 _The prince realized the dear one that he had loved so very much was never to return. He slowly stopped his pleads and sobs; gathered himself together; still weak, but now strong enough to stand. He gathered his sword and armor and made his way slowly back into the castle. He had always been safe there. His armor will be polished, his sword sharpened, and the traps and obstacles rebuilt. He was back at square one, but he could still rebuild. He had done it before; this time it should go much faster. The scar will forever embellish his body; it will be a reminder. A reminder of what happens when you leave your fortress. A reminder of what happens when you trust someone who was strong enough to overcome your defenses. That is not when you trust; that is when you flee. He will take loneliness, he will companion himself with it. Because with that loneliness come safety._

He was numb now. He no longer reached out to Jake. What's the point? Jake didn't want him anymore. He hadn't responded to a single pester in a week. No point, there's no point in even trying. The relationship is done, Jake's made that clear. Fine, he doesn't care anymore. He can't wait for this game to be over. He hopes he can return to the solitude he enjoyed before any of this happened.

Dirk had moved out to the roof top. A mixture of numb and a little pissed off; yeah, emotion was creeping back in now. He had a conversation with Hal that didn't do shit for him, but he finally got Hal that body he always wanted, and he seems pretty happy with freaky muscle guy. Whatever, and …what fresh hell is this? The other three alphas approached him in neon and pastels; like they had all take some new drug that made them bat-shit insane. He didn't want to deal with this anymore. He told them off, but gave into their trickster antics anyway; hoping he could get a reprieve from the negative emotions that had been plaguing him for the past week and a half. He wanted to be as happy as they looked, even if it was fake, even just for a moment.

And of course it didn't work for him. Because nothing in his life could EVER be that fucking easy. Jake was rambling on about a marriage pack that the three dumbasses had cooked up. No, he wouldn't be marrying anybody. He had had it.

"Jake I'm not marrying shit. And frankly, you've got some nerve floating down here babbling about marriage with that shit eating grin and that dumb little pumpkin on your head." He wanted Jake to feel even the slightest bit of what he was feeling. He was still so angry …and hurt.

"After you ditched me and ignored all my messages? You know, if you didn't like me anymore and wanted to stop hanging out, then fine, I could handle that." He needed to be indignant right know. It was the only thing that was keeping him grounded. He knows he still would have sobbed the loss of Jake regardless of how it was handled, but his cool-kid façade was back and stronger than ever. He needed to downplay their relationship "hanging out" rather than living together. It was nothing more than two bros hanging out, yes. He lost nothing more than a buddy. Jake needed to know that. He needed to know he hadn't crippled the blonde.

"But to just shut me out completely like I didn't even deserve an explanation, that's just cowardly. Why couldn't you just man up and talk to me?" He knew the explanation behind Jake's disappearance. Still, he needed this to be Jake's fault right now. All his fault.

"You act like I don't have feelings, like I'm some kind of robot. Well you're wrong, I do. And I'm using those feelings to FEEL like you're actually kind of an asshole." Shit, he is showing too much again. He wanted Jake to know that his feelings were hurt; but to do so meant he had to show himself again. Too much. It's too much. It's Jake's fault. It had to be Jake's fault.

"So whatever you were afraid to tell me before your fucking sugar high, don't worry about it, I'll save you the trouble. It's over Jake." He was taking control back. He had the control and he would end the relationship before it destroyed him. Jake was so desperate to be free. Here's your freedom Jake. Never bother him in his tower again. Dirk knew that Jake would forever hold half of his heart; but he wasn't about to force the boy to stay in a relationship he didn't want. The fruit of their relationship had rotted on the vine; Dirk knew when to prune the garden.

The trickster magic was having a small influence on him. He was still too conscious to get lost in the shenanigans of the other three. But it eased his suffering just a bit. The boys didn't talk again until the midst of battle.

Dirk had been able to dispatch the Condese with surprising ease; now he Dave, and Terezi were off to help the others fight Lord English.

As they arrived he saw Jake there too. Must have finished his battle as well. They locked eyes for a moment and then jumped into the fray.

For some reason English had it out for the prince and the page. Saying things like "YOU WON'T GET ME AGAIN!" and other claims to that effect. Dirk wasn't sure why he was so focused on the two alphas, but he could defend himself. He just needed to hold out long enough for Calliope to do her thing. Apparently Jake couldn't hold out and Lord English was about to dispose of the weak link. Jake was distracted, as the boy often was, his back was turned for some reason and Dirk saw what was about to unfold.

 _The prince saw the page making his way back to the castle, unaware of the juggernaut behind him. Despite the pain he had felt when the golden clad boy left; he couldn't let him die. The prince disarmed the traps and hurried down the many floors of his tower; forgetting his helmet. His armor hadn't been properly secured and he lost it in his descent. He clutched his sword. He would defend the boy that rose him to the peak of ebullience and then dropped him into the depths despair. Because regardless of what the page had done; he was the first to fight so hard to get to know the prince. Really know him._

 _The behemoth was nearly upon the page by the time the prince had reached the bottom of the castle. The prince had always been a fast one. Even so, didn't have time and wasn't fast enough to bring his sword up in a defensive strike; instead taking the full force of the blow._

The prince was painted red. He was falling back. His eyes met Jake's; a question decorated the small boy's face. _Why?_

*** _Silly boy, you'll always be his_.*** No matter what, Dirk would always love Jake. He would do anything for Jake. Even when he appears cold and like he has no interest; it's just a defense mechanism. Dirk wanted nothing more than for the page to find happiness; happiness that the prince couldn't give him. Please, when this is all over; be happy Jake.


	30. Making Up

He was falling…well, more like plummeting. To where, he didn't know. There were more pressing concerns filling his mind. Like the searing pain in his chest and the ringing in his ears. His eyes were closed. He should open them. Wait, what was he doing? His mind was a whirring mess. Alarms going off in every section and no one around to figure out what should be dealt with first. He needed to pull himself out of this free fall, but it hurt to move and his body wouldn't listen.

And all of the sudden he was floating. He could feel small arms awkwardly carrying him. How? Who? He heard shouts, but couldn't distinguish who they belonged to or what they said. The creature lumbering him replied something. Too loud. It's all too loud and his chest hurts, it hurts so much. He could feel a controlled descent of his carriage to someplace unknown. He should open his eyes. They were so heavy though. Another wave of pain hit him and he cried out, coughing, as his mouth filled with the taste of iron. The voice above him cooing as soothingly as it could. It held something else though, fear? Yes, he was afraid. That registered somewhere in his brain. He was scared and felt like his body had been ripped in half. The small frame set him down gently somewhere. He really should open his eyes. Summoning what strength he could he forced his eyes open. And there was Jake.

There was light all around them, but Dirk could only see it around Jake. Like a halo. He was an angel. An angel to see Dirk depart from this life. He knew he was dying. He was so scared. So very scared. Jake was saying something, he wish his ears would stop ringing, he wants to hear his voice one last time.

Dirk was feeling better, and he knew his end was soon. When the body realizes that all hope is lost, it ceases its pain signals and releases a flood of endorphins to ease the process of dying. His fear was subsiding, no longer afraid. He felt like he was enveloped in warmth. The ringing was fading from his hearing. He could see Jake more clearly, he was crying. "..ry…I'm so sorry Dirk. Don't die. Don't die on me. Please." My dear angel, don't soil your pretty face with those tears. It's alright.

His vision was getting darker. He reached out to Jake's face. Using every ounce of strength. Jake kissed his palm and Dirk gave him his final message.

Jake needed to help Dirk fast. God there was so much blood. He needed to find Jasperose ..who was the other healer? Shit, this was not the time to screw up. Dirk had risked his life to defend him; despite everything Jake had put him through, this amazing boy didn't think twice about protecting him. Dave, Terezi, and Vriska created a shield, the ghosts doing their best to surround Lord English. "Joke, get Strider out of here! Get your useless ass to the lily pad NOW! Get one of the healers to help him!" Jake went as fast as he could. Doing his best to soothe Dirk's pain with words as he had nothing physically to give him. The grist towers were in full force, everything was so bright. Still he managed to get there in a short amount of time.

The healers were nowhere to be seen. He called out for them, but nothing. He laid Dirk as gently as he could on the platform. Dirk opened his eyes. He looked like he was in so much pain; but almost instantly the grimace started to relax his face becoming more serene; as the puddle of blood grew beneath him. Jake was crying now. He didn't know where the healers were, he didn't know how to save him. He needed Dirk to know he was sorry. "I'm so sorry Dirk. You didn't deserve the way I treated you. I should have talked to you, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Dirk. Don't die on me. Please." Jake's eyes were squeezed tight. Tears flowing down his face. He felt Dirk shift and opened his eyes. He had a trembling hand reaching for the page. Jake eagerly took it and pressed it against his face. Kissing the palm of the wonderful boy in front of him. He looked into Dirk glossy eyes as the words he never thought he'd hear again fell out of the prince's mouth.

"al..wa..ys….lo..ve…you…"

Jake held the boy's now limp hand to his face. It couldn't end like this. "No….no…don't….go…don't go….don't…GO DON'T GO!" Jake screamed out in anguish. His cry held the force of a thousand hurricanes and the volume not even ten thousand sirens could match. He felt a power well up inside himself. And both boys were engulfed in a pale yellow light.

 _The page held the prince's dead body in his arms. "Please, come back." He had come to apologize. Never had he treated someone so horribly. Never had he hurt someone he loved so dearly. But that's just the thing. He hadn't realized he loved the boy whom now was growing cold. He hadn't even realized he left with half of that boy's heart clutched tightly in his hand. When did he take that? And why did it pain him to know the boy was without it? And why did he also refuse to give it back? Because he loved that boy in the ivory tower, he was just too blind to see it. Never had he experienced love before, and he was so clueless he didn't see it when it was standing right in front of him. He would keep that heart, he would treasure it._

 _The juggernaut was gone and now both were surrounded by those that cared for them from afar. The page was a lone wanderer, not aware of the connections that he had made. Everyone knew the prince, despite his best attempts to avoid them. They knew he came down from that tower every so often to help his people. Be it slaying beasts that threatened the village, or sending one of his automated men to help during harvest. The prince always cared for the people around him and they knew it. He didn't show affection in a traditional way, but his love was felt nonetheless. They needed to save their beloved prince._

 _First came the witch who had raised the page, but it was out of her power. Next came the sylph whom married the prince's niece, again it was out of her power. The maid was next. Rumors about her ability to heal rivaled none. If anyone could help the prince, she could. Unfortunately, again, failure was all that met her efforts. The page sobbed. He was so very sorry, for everything that he had done to the prince. And in his tears held a little magic; nothing of clear power, like the witch or the maid. Still, it held potential. And this potential was the key. The tear fell onto the prince's face, trailed down his neck and made it to the wound._

Jake awoke to find all his friends standing around him and the barely breathing boy next to him. "Did we win?"

Vriska responded "I'm not sure. We defeated English, but we haven't received our prize. What's more everything seems frozen."

Jake looked around and sure enough the light from the grist towers, the rotation of the planets; everything seemed as if time was standing still.

"What's more everyone with a Space, Time, or Life aspect lost their powers. Don't know why."

Life…life…., Dirk! No, Jane couldn't bring him back? He heard shallow breathing and turned. Dirk wasn't dead yet. He wasn't dead. He should-

Dave was the first to jump with Rose right behind him. He tore off his cape and she created a tourniquet around the wound.

"You should rest." Jane came up to Jake. "You helped us a lot."

"How? If anything I may have indirectly…"

"That burst of energy that came from you. It gave everyone a refreshing energy and raised morale. It revived the tired and blinded English just enough for Calli to do what was necessary."

Jake heard her, but his mind refused to connect anything she said to anything that made sense. It just sounded like jumbled noise to him. All he could do was watch the boy whom had risked everything for him, lying there on the floor; struggling.

"His wound doesn't look as bad as I thought it would…were you holding him when you went all hope super saiyan?" Asked Dave.

"Yeah"

 _The prince was surrounded by white. It was blinding, there was a woman in black ahead of him. "Welcome."_

 _"Where am I? Who are you?"_

 _"Who I am is not important, where you are is not important. First you must remember, then you must choose. What brought you here?"_

 _"I was protecting a boy from a monster."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because I love him."_

 _The woman nodded. "Despite your hermit tendencies and cold persona, you are a rare breed of power and kindness. One that should not be robbed of from the world so soon. I can send you back; but it will cost you."_

 _"Cost me what?" "Whatever is most important to you the moment you wake."_

 _"Deal."_

The team had managed to use the window portals to get to LOMAX. Jake didn't want Dirk breathing in krypton. He laid Dirk on hi-, their bed. He pulled up a chair and held the blonde's hand; whispering sweet nothings to him. How could he ever have thought he wanted away from this boy? He was so precious and now lays there barely clinging onto life. At first everyone stood there, wishing to see some improvement, but that was too much. The prince didn't get better quickly, however he didn't get worse either.

So some left to gather Karkat and the mayor and this timeline's Calli. Dave stayed with Jake; watching over the heart player. After sometime Karkat came into the room. He and Dave had a hushed conversation, Jake couldn't hear the details, but out of his peripheral vision he could see the troll hugging the knight.

After the first 18 hours or so, Rose and Roxy came in with an intravenous drip for Dirk. So he wouldn't get dehydrated. The boy had yet to stir. The girls coaxed Jake to get some rest, but he couldn't. He needed to stay here with his love. The room was soon emptied for the night. Jake passed the time by kissing the prince's knuckles, brushing his hair back and whispering encouragement he hoped the boy could hear. He loved him, he was doing so well, just fight a little more, please love, fight a little harder for the adventurer holding your hand.

The prince produced a bit of a fever over the course of the night. Jake was quick to grab a washcloth and gently wiped the sweat from his brow. The heat seemed to grow more intense. He ran and woke up the seer or light and she in turn woke up the rogue of void. Together they inspected the patient. The wound was starting to give way to infection. The girls worked together to produce antibiotics. Their powers were starting to diminish like the others though. It took longer to bring forth the desired material, but they managed.

 _Before the woman in black would grant the prince another chance at life she had to give him a warning. "There chance I give you is not fool proof. There is the possibility that you will die shortly after your revival."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"The power that has saved you, dear prince, is unassuming. The power of hope. Hope does not guarantee anything. In fact it only provides two things. A refreshing will, the power that allows you to push forward no matter how bleak things look. And possibility, a road that others would block off, hope leaves open. Hope does not give absolutes, it is merely a tool; therefore the outcome is up to the person. The path has been opened for you; it is up to you whether or not you take it. It won't be easy, but if you fight and work hard, it will be worth it. You must embrace the hope that is presented to you. Do not let past experiences stain you perception with darkness and despair. Embrace the hope in front of you."_

Jake hadn't left Dirk's side for four days. At one point he passed out next to the bed, he woke up a few hours later checking Dirk's vitals; making sure he was okay. Roxy came in "Jake, Dirk wouldn't like it if he knew you were pushing yourself like this for his sake. It's too much. Get something to eat, or sleep, or shower. You need to take care of yourself too." Jake couldn't do that though. He couldn't leave Dirk alone. Roxy seemed to know what he was thinking. "I'll stay with him. You aren't the only one who cares about him. Myself, Jane, Dave, Rose, everyone. We all want him to pull through Jake." Jake took a deep breath, she was right.

He was still too worried about his dearest to eat or sleep; but a shower would be nice. Once he started though, his anxiety got the better of him. He rushed and was back by Dirk's side only twenty minutes later. He found Roxy sitting next to the bed. Random objects littered around the chair. "My powers are fading. Nothing I try to bring forth comes. Only random objects." She was holding a book.

"What's that?"

"This quirky little book called The Prince, the Page and The Ivory Tower."

"mmmmn~" They both heard it and looked at each other with hope in their eyes and looked at the blonde in the bed. His eyes were cracked open just a bit. He tried to sit up, but failed half way through and collapsed back onto the bed.

"Take it easy, love."

 _The prince woke up surrounded by people. He was in the page's lap and every person from the nearby village created a circle around him. Too many, too many people. He didn't care how weak he was; he needed to get back to the tower, back to the safety of solitude._

 _And a crash echoed through the field. His tower was gone, falling into itself, leaving nothing behind, not even a frame. He was without his home now, his protection. He lost what he wanted most in that moment. He needed to get away; but he knew in his condition he would be dead by the next morning without any form of shelter. Even as the possibilities swarmed in his mind, the page wrapped his arms around him. "You will come with us, we will help you." The one path that he hadn't considered, the hope that was now looking into his eyes. He will take it._

 _The page and the rogue carried him to the village infirmary. He was overwhelmed. So much stimuli, so many people. This was the road he had closed off, this was the path he hadn't wanted to consider. No he has no choice now. This was the path he must walk. He hoped it would be worth it._

Dirk laid there, fighting through the haze. There were people around him, two people. They were talking, what were they saying. Sleep tugged at the edges of his mind. No, he needed to know what was going on. He felt a weight next to him. He forced his eyes open one more time. Oh, his angel was there. Whispering something he couldn't discern. He felt lips on his forehead, cheeks, nose, and a soft kiss on his lips. His eyes were closed again, when did that happen? He forced them open once more. The apple of his eye above him, a pair of tears pricking and then trailing from the brunette's eyes. No, darling, don't cry. Their foreheads pressed together; a feeling of love and warmth consuming him and lulling him back to sleep.

Jake doted on Dirk for several more days as the blonde fell in and out of consciousness. The prince was still exceptionally weak; but as stubborn as ever. He didn't like accepting help. He didn't like feeling like a weak kitten, at the mercy of the kindness of those around him. Still, "love" Jake used that word every time he spoke to the prince. The first few days Dirk was awake he couldn't sit up on his own. It didn't matter though, Jake was there to help him. Kissing his forehead and petting his hair; doing everything he could to reassure the blonde that he was safe and cared for. He didn't have to do it alone. There were people that cared for him, they wouldn't hurt him. Dirk was afraid to let himself feel that though. Vulnerability was something he didn't do well, especially with so many people. Dave seemed to understand. Giving him those anime shades that went missing during battle. He had alchemized them for his bro. He understood. He needed that armor, that barrier between himself and other people. Dirk still spent most of the time in bed. He tired quickly and Jake was there to make sure he had everything he needed. As he lay there, barely conscious, only a week and a half after his injury; Jake was sitting there quietly, reading aloud to him in a gentle soothing manner. He held that book that Roxy held when he first awoke. His voice like an emollient for the anxiety that only comes from feeling so defenseless. "Once there was a prince in a tall white tower…"

Dirk's stubbornness was his biggest contributor to his improving health. Every day he tried to do more on his own. Jake had to feed him the first day, but by the second he was able to do it himself. He struggled to sit up for two days, but by the third he had achieved strength enough to sit-up and reach and talk to those that visited him. This stubbornness though had to be mitigated by outsiders. Roxy, Jake, Rose, Dave, everyone at one point or another forced him to rest. He wanted to be better and he wanted to be healed now. Dirk believed that if he could just push himself a little more his injury would no longer rule his existence. Others were well aware of this thought process and curbed it each in their own way. Rose gave him a sleep aid mixed with his tea, sleep was best. Dave, just sat there in silence with him. Roxy played mom and nearly suffocated him with care. And Jake, whenever he thought Dirk was pushing himself too hard, kissed him. Jake's kisses were the blonde's kryptonite. It made Dirk feel his own weakness and in those few minutes, it made him okay with the vulnerable position. It never lasted, but it was enough to make the boy rest for at least a few minutes.

In just another week, Dirk was up and walking again. And that's when the pause that the game experienced since the incident was removed. Everything was flowing again, the kids felt their powers restored. And they were finally presented with their reward. A new universe all for them. They reached for it together and were bathed in the white light.

 _ **Notes:**_ _**Hope this wasn't too cheesy.**_  
 _ **Anyway one chapter left.**_


	31. Doing Something Sweet

Well this wasn't quite what they expected. They had arrived at their new domain only days ago. However, the planet wasn't what they thought it would be. Their world was still under construction. The game had provided them each a house that suited their tastes and was outfitted with everything pertaining to who they are; their sense of identity. They were practically their own little village, surrounded by forest. Jake, as expected, went out to explore the very next day. Everyone was curious about their new habitat, but no one's energy could match that of the page. He called Roxy over to keep an eye on Dirk; much to the prince's protest, however he had proved himself to be imprudent with his own health. Someone needed to make sure he didn't work himself into the ground.

In Jake's exploration he found a barrier, there was a protective dome around the gods of this land and out there, there was nothing more than hot lava and noxious fumes. He had rushed back to tell everyone his discovery. The next day a small group followed him to the phenomenon; only to be met with a cooled rocky wasteland. Not at all like the description the page had given. Rose could piece together what was happened quickly enough and retreated into her library. The game had seen it fit to give her an expansive library with tomes on every subject. The next few days she spent returning to that spot, writing down the differences in appearance and taking copious. After only three days she formed her hypothesis.

"The world is going through its entire evolutionary history. It's a little hard for me to say for sure, but it seems like the dome accelerates our perception of time passing. According to the books I've read it is changing at nearly the same rate that it would if you were to condense Earth's history into one Earth year."

"So, in other words, we are stuck in this dome thing until this new world catches up?" Dave asked.

"Precisely."

That was two weeks ago. Everyone had since resigned themselves to the 365 day wait. Surprisingly, it was an easy shift for most. Everyone welcomed the break. A chance to really get to know their fellow gods. A chance to not worry about the future, merely wonder what it might be. They had everything they needed and wanted in that dome. Rose had books, Kanaya had materials for fashionable creations, Jake had the surprisingly expansive woods to explore; everyone had something to keep them occupied. Still, there were those that didn't know how to handle peace. That didn't know how to handle the idea of impending doom not being an issue. They didn't know how to deal with not needing to fight. So, they sparred with each other; just so they could feel normal for a few moments.

The clash of sickle and sword echoed throughout the room, both fighters panting heavily however, they were unwilling to stop their fight. The lunged at each other once more, a clash of strength and speed and agility. Dodging and weaving, trying to get a hit in on the other. Dave sat off to the side, watching. He never really liked fighting; Karkat had an excessive amount of nervous energy, he always seemed better after a match with Dirk. Dave wanted to support them. As for Dirk, it was part of his physical therapy. He wanted to get back into top form; regardless of whether he ever needed to fight again, he was determined to regain his strength. The boy never knew when to quit though.

He stood there, Karkat across from him, his image wavering. Dirk was tired, no, more like exhausted, the match wasn't over yet. He wasn't going to lose because his body didn't want to cooperate, because it was weak. This was how to get stronger, ignore any perceived limitation. He could still fight. Little did he realize he was swaying as he stood there, sword poised for another attack. Dave chimed in

"I think it's time you guys call it a day."

Dirk wasn't about to quit "Why? The match isn't over yet." He was always too good at covering his weakness for his own good. He kept his speech clear and coherent, despite the fog that was starting to cloud his brain and the darkness dancing around the edges of his vision.

"Bro, you are fucking swaying where you stand. You're still healing from a serious injury, you should take it easy."

"I'm fine" Dirk snapped. He wasn't about concede his limitations. He had no limitations. Only weaknesses that had to be overcome.

"I have to agree with Dave. You look pale, you really should rest and get something to drink." Now Karkat was adding his two cents.

Dirk wasn't about to admit defeat, which is what taking a break would entail. "No." his voice icy and determined. He lunged at the troll, his strike was caught, but now he had determination on his side. His movement suddenly faster and stronger than before, it took everything Karkat had to keep up. Dirk was tapping into every last reserve of energy he had. He would reclaim his strength, he wouldn't look weak. And in less than two minutes Karkat was on his back, a sword in his face and the heart player standing over him. "I win." Dirk removed the blade from its position towards the blood player and offered his hand, helping the troll up. "C'mon, waters, in here." He started making his way to the kitchen, all too aware of the black creeping further and further into his vision. Dave was saying something, he sounded really far away though. Shit.

Dave saw Dirk swaying and stumbling as he made his way out of the room. "You sure you're okay?" No response. He was about to ask again, when Dirk started to fall forward. Dave rushed forward to catch him, but struggling to lift him up. "Karkat, help me will you?"

"Sure." The two knights carried the prince to his bedroom, tucking him in.

"You know, if the bro from my timeline was as hard on himself as Dirk is…it kind of explains a lot."

"In what way?"

Dave still hadn't really told Karkat his feelings towards his bro, and he didn't really feel the need to go into it now. Instead he used a more abstract example. "I think no matter what, every variation of him is a prince of heart. Remember when Calli went over the meanings of each aspect and class last week? How they each kind of related to our personalities?"

"Yeah." "Well, prince is an active destruction class, and heart is the path of the self. So, doesn't that make the prince-heart player self-destructive? Bro was kind of like that, I was too young to see it at the time, but he was pretty self-destructive." His bro's isolation, the fact that he never saw his bro with any friends, maybe even the way he had treated Dave was a form of self-destruction. To keep himself isolated.

"Oh dear, did he overdo it again?" Jake appeared in the doorway, having just return from yet another outing in the lush forest that surrounds their inhabitants. Truth is he had been listening for a few minutes and heard Dave's musings. He didn't want to appear like an eavesdropper though, so he kept quiet about it.

"Yeah, you know Dirk."

"You two go home, I'll take care of him."

The knights nodded in agreement and departed, leaving the page to look over his boyfriend with a sigh. Self-destructive? He hadn't considered that. Right now he wanted more than anything to climb into bed next to the prince, but he was entirely too sweaty. He went into the bathroom for a quick shower, emerging a little later and climbing in next to Dirk, draping his arm protectively over the pale boy. His dear sweet prince, under attack from his own mind. How lonely he must have been with all that time in isolation, only solitude and his own self-loathing to companion himself with. He hadn't seen the self-loathing at first, too in awe of the magnificent person that Dirk is. Now, he sees it all too clearly, and he wants to help him, help him see how fantastic he is. It will be a long road though. Jake's handling of their relational troubles certainly hadn't helped anything, rather than constantly reaching out to him; Dirk now seemed hesitant to accept the hand of love offered to him. Afraid of imposing on Jake with his presence, fearful of showing himself again. Yet, Jake knew the boy loved him. Those subtle hints that peppered his every day. Dirk always left bottles of water, sunscreen, and energy bars by the door, before Jake departed for his morning exploration. And when the prince hadn't pushed himself to hard, the adventurer was greeted upon his return with a change of clothes and a hot bath drawn for him. The boy was too kind to hate himself so much. Jake vowed that he would do everything in his power to free Dirk from his own abusive mindset.

 _The prince had recovered. The people rejoiced. However, there was a barrier that the prince just could not tear down. His isolation had made it difficult of him to really connect with anyone. He didn't know how to communicate with his people. That was okay though, the people were just happy that their loving prince was healthy._

 _The prince's automated men appeared shortly after the prince's recovery. He used them to help the village he held so dear. Helping the people with their daily tasks and making lives easier for all. The prince did what he could with his own hands; which shocked the people. The prince was exceptionally egalitarian in nature; unwilling to view himself above menial work. Still, he didn't talk much. His personality only came through during downtime in the evening. The prince put on a show for the whole village, fighting 3 automated men at once and putting on a spectacular performance for all. He also accepted challengers. Never decimating them, he held back and everyone knew it. He adjusted his level to be only just above those he fought, to teach them, to help them grow. When the defeated challengers approached him, asking how they may improve, the stolid, laconic prince became animated and loquacious. He loved helping others. It surprised the few he showed this too. The people wanted the prince to show this side of himself more. He seemed ashamed though, as he would soon catch himself in these talkative moments and reel himself back to his impassive demeanor. Why must he hide himself so?_

Jake insisted on taking Dirk with him today. Grasping the blonde's hand in his own, he led him down a trail he had found. Nothing too strenuous, Dirk already pushed himself too hard. Jake was dead set on the blonde allowing himself to have a break. As they walked the trail Dirk managed to surprise Jake for the umpteenth time in their relationship. He was gathering plants he found as they walked; captchalogging them. "What are you doing, love?"

Dirk pulled out a few of the plants. "Rose said once that she liked dandelion tea, once these are dried they should be good enough to use. And this is aloe vera, you keep forgetting to put sunscreen on the back of your neck and ears, this will help." As if to emphasize his point, Dirk ripped open one of the leaves as the gel-like substance pooled in his hand. He rubbed it between his fingers, approached Jake and gently placed it on the burns that decorated the sensitive areas. It was cool and refreshing, relieving the slight sting from the burns. Dirk was so gentle, so kind, so caring, so unassuming in his consideration for others. Such an amazing person. Jake leaned forward and brushed his lips against the blonde's.

"Thanks love." And he was rewarded with a soft smile, a smile that showed his tenderheartedness, his love for all that is so delicate he feels the need to hide it; expressing it only in ways that most people would overlook. Jake took his hand, he needed to return such magnanimity, let him know that he was in Jake's thought just as much as Jake was in his. He led Dirk to a clearing, laying down a blanket and un-captchalogging a basket; filled with Dirk's favorite foods. The light that shone in the blonde's eyes was more precious than anything Jake had seen. Dirk was losing himself in the moment, such a rare feat for him, but beneficial to his well-being. Nothing to calculate, nothing to consider how it will affect the future, nothing to consider how he must look, or act, or how it could be used against him. It was these moments Jake cherished and it was these moments that he felt redemption from his actions only weeks ago and a modicum of repayment for Dirk's heroic actions. He could never fully repay him, but he would just be happy with seeing more of those smiles.

They ate and talked, soon filling their bellies, too full to move when they were done. Jake forced himself up, their sky was clouding over. He had a clear tent for the two of them. All his time outdoors had attuned Jake with the weather patterns in the dome. Three or four days of sun, and then a downpour of rain. Each time it rained Dirk would lay out on the deck until Jake arrived home, both shivering and wet. They always remedied it by changing clothes and cuddling under a mountain of blankets, adding to the warmth with tender kisses and sweet nothings. Like they were the only two that existed in that moment. This time though, Jake wanted Dirk to enjoy the rain with Jake, not just the after math.

So the boys laid on their blanket, another draped over them to shield them from any cold and the clear plastic tent above them to protect them from the rain. Dirk buried his face in Jake's chest at first, only to pull away and give the page the biggest, brightest grin that the page had seen from the boy. A smile so bright that if the energy could have been captured and released to the heavens, surely it would make a second sun. "Thanks, hun."

Jake simpered "You're welcome love."

For a while they just past time like this. Jake could feel that nagging question in his mind since yesterday. He hated to ruin the mood, but he had to know. "Do you remember, a few days after we arrived here and Calli was going over how everyone's personality matched their classpect?"

"Yeah, this is about the self-destruction thing isn't it?" Dirk wasn't upset, he had been expecting people to ask him about it since Calli talked about it. She had phrased it differently, not meaning it to sound like he was a mental case. She didn't even realize how it would be taken in their culture. In fact, he's still pretty sure she was clueless to the implications of her words.

"Yeah….do you think you're self-destructive?"

"Probably, I know you're aware of the whole self-loathing thing; but I'm fine with it. I think it suits me."

"Is that really what you want, love? Do you like hating yourself?"

Dirk shook his head. "It's not quite like that. It's not that I outright hate myself. Saying that would mean I have no chance of ever being satisfied. It's more like I'm dissatisfied with who I am. And that in turn becomes a type of loathing. However, it is what pushes me to learn things and better myself. That maybe one day I'll do enough, be enough, to consider myself worthy."

"Worthy of what, love?" Jake was now tracing circles on Dirks scalp. Threading his fingers through his hair. Jake didn't want to present any disapproval with Dirk's thoughts. He knew the boy would just shut down; viewing it as a kind of rejection. No, Dirk was letting him into his mind a little, letting him see what makes him tick; he could tell his precious darling prince was scared to let Jake see; so it was up to Jake to reassure him at every turn.

"Worthy of you, worthy of this, worthy of life, worthy of everything." His face was stone; his voice monotone. Dirk couldn't handle letting his thoughts and emotions showing at the same time. This was hard enough. But it was Jake and he loved Jake, he wanted to be with Jake. The cost was a little vulnerability. He was so uncomfortable at that moment; but Jake didn't react with vehement refusal to accept his mentality or cry that he was too cruel to himself. Jake was merely listened and accepted his words; which was enough to make the blonde cry if he let himself.

With his admission out there, hanging in the air, Jake felt as though the words were a thread adding to the many threads that already connected the two; with each thread their relationship grew closer. He leaned down kissing the boy who had closed his eyes, clearly afraid to look. With his tender affections expressed, prince's eyes were opened, filled with gratitude and a little bit of wonder. No censure or admonishment; merely acceptance, a gift so rare he could weep with joy. Instead, the boys kissed and cuddled and caressed each other until the rain was through.

 _It took a long time, but the prince slowly let down his guard among the people. He embraced their friendships and their kindness. However, every other week the prince would lock himself away in a cabin far in the woods; unwilling to meet with anyone. The page attempted to bring him back more than once, however the prince refused; instead, allowing the page to visit a few days each time he took a seclusion break. This frightened the people at first; that is until at the end of his withdrawal; the prince returned with something new to help the citizens of the village. Sometimes another automated person, sometimes he fixed the many broken items that had been discarded as trash and returned them to the original owners; and sometimes he brought forth something to entertain the people. The prince wasn't a misanthrope, merely solitary in nature. So when the prince closed himself off the next time, the people put a plan into action._

 _When the prince arrived in town after his self-imposed break from society, he found a tower waiting for him just outside of the village. It wasn't as tall or as imposing as his tower before, but it was a welcomed sight nonetheless. The people revealed it to be a special home for their beloved ruler. Something that would allow him the solitude he craved, while staying close to those that cared for him. There were no traps or battlements, and it was fixed with a bell and sign. The sign, to express when he wished for isolation or if he was amenable to social engagements; which people could then use the bell to get his attention. This wasn't all though, no, not even close. The people had prepared a feast in expectation of news. The prince didn't know this yet though, as the page had whisked him away to a waterfall. The prince did so love the sound. And as they sat there taking in the mist that came off it, they page proposed. "I know I am, but a page, and I know I have caused you pain in the past. Please, believe my sincerest regrets about those events. However, we have grown close these past few months, and I care for you deeply. If your eminence will have me, I should love to spend the rest of my life with you."_

 _The prince was overjoyed. He loved the page immensely, the person who worked so hard and accepted him. He agreed. As they arrived back a while later, they were greeted with food and drink and merriment…the witch never could keep a secret. The boys smiled and rejoiced with the town. Ending their night in their tower._

Dirk finished reading, he couldn't help but laugh to himself. No matter how many versions of him there are, they all seem to have the same issues. He didn't want to be like Dave's bro. He didn't want to hurt those around him with his own self-destruction. So he will try, like the prince in this odd little book. He will work on his issues and try to connect more. He will never be social, like the prince, he is a loner by nature. Still, maybe he could find a balance; and with that balance will come self-acceptance, and with that acceptance will come happiness. It was his road that hope had opened for him, and he also knows he has a page by his side to help him through.

 _ **Notes:**_ _**I may have unintentionally made way for a sequel to this. Something about the year gap before they are reintroduced to their world as masters of the universe? Hmm...something to think about. Thoughts?**_

 _ **My next fic will be another 30 day OTP fic. Davekat this time. It will take place on the meteor, post retcon and Dave is dealing with some issues about his bro. So a little more angsty than this one, but will probably be less extreme. I'm taking a week break and then I will be back. Look out for "Strider and Strident"**_

 _ **I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorite, and/or followed this story. This has been so encouraging for me and I really appreciate it! Thank you for any and all feedback. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!**_


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